15 September 2022 | A 42-year-old woman has been arrested in Ulsan, Korea over the deaths of two children whose bodies were found in suitcases in Manurewa, Auckland.
Video / NZ Herald
A 42-year-old woman facing murder charges after the bodies of two children were found abandoned in suitcases in Auckland has been handed over to New Zealand authorities.
Earlier this month a South Korean court approved the extradition of the woman after she was arrested in the port city of Ulsan in September. Immigration records show the woman arrived in South Korea in July 2018.
South Korea’s Justice Ministry said today that the unidentified woman was handed over to New Zealand authorities on Monday evening at the Incheon international airport near Seoul. The ministry said it also has provided New Zealand with unspecified “important evidence” on the case.
“With the extradition, we hope that the truth of the case, which has garnered worldwide attention, will be revealed through the fair and strict judicial process of New Zealand,” the ministry said in a statement.
Detective Inspector Tofilau Fa’amanuia Vaaelua, of Counties Manukau police, confirmed the woman has been extradited to New Zealand and is expected to appear in court tomorrow.
Three New Zealand police officers travelled to South Korea to transport her back to Auckland, he said. The woman arrived at Auckland Airport this afternoon and was then taken to the Manukau Police Station.
A passenger on an Air New Zealand flight from Seoul, which arrived in Auckland at about 12.30pm today, told the Herald there were four police officers at the exit of the plane in the passenger boarding bridge.
However, they said there had been no mention of a potential suspect on the flight, and they didn’t see anyone in handcuffs or any uniformed police on the aircraft. It is believed the suspect may have been on this flight after being handed over to NZ authorities in Seoul.
Vaaelua said the woman will be held in custody overnight before she is expected to appear in the Manukau District Court on two charges of murder tomorrow.
“The investigation team would like to acknowledge the assistance from agencies both in New Zealand and South Korea, which has meant we have been able to put an alleged offender put before the court,” Vaaelua said. “Police appreciate the interest in this matter, however, we are not able to comment further as a person is now before the court.”
An interim non-publication order, issued by the Coroner for the two victims, also remains in place.
Police investigate after human remains were found in suitcases. Photo / Dean Purcell
South Korean Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon issued an order for the woman’s extradition earlier this month after the Seoul High Court had earlier granted approval of her extradition.
The Seoul High Court said its decision to approve extradition came after the unidentified woman agreed in writing to be sent back to New Zealand. The court had previously planned to review her case to determine whether she should be extradited but later said it was no longer necessary.
South Korean police arrested the woman based on a domestic court warrant, issued after Kiwi authorities requested her provisional arrest. New Zealand’s Justice Ministry then submitted a formal request for her extradition to the South Korean ministry.
New Zealand police have said the South Korean warrant for the suspect’s arrest was in connection with two murder charges, and that they requested South Korean authorities keep the woman in jail until she was extradited.
Vaaelua had earlier confirmed NZ police had also been working with Interpol as part of the homicide investigation.
The children’s bodies were discovered in August after an Auckland family bought abandoned goods, including two suitcases, from a storage unit in an online auction. Police have said the family had nothing to do with the deaths.
The victims were between 5 and 10 years old and had been dead for years, according to police.
South Korean police have said the woman was born in South Korea and later moved to New Zealand, where she gained citizenship.
South Korean police have also said it was suspected she could be the mother of the two victims, as her past address in New Zealand was registered to the storage unit where the suitcases were kept.
