An Afghan national has been arrested in Athens in connection with the death of a British woman whose body was found stuffed inside a suitcase. The 26-year-old suspect allegedly told authorities he killed Elisabeth Jane Ross, 38, after becoming angered by her attempts to convert him from Islam to Christianity.

Ross's body was discovered by a homeless man on July 18 in an abandoned parking lot in the Kypseli district of Athens. Police arrested the suspect on Sunday night, with details of his alleged confession and his wife's testimony emerging as crucial to his capture.

According to police sources, the suspect confessed to his wife that he had argued with Ross, who was described as a devout Christian, because she was persistently discussing her faith and urging him to convert. The suspect reportedly stated that this pressure became excessive.

The suspect's wife, who is reportedly a British national, provided key information to investigators. She told police that she became concerned when her husband went missing on July 16 while they were staying in Arachova, a mountain village near Athens. Using a location-tracking app, she discovered he was at an apartment in Rethymnou Street in central Athens, where Ross was staying and is believed to have been killed.

Investigators were able to trace the suspect after Ross's mobile phone, which had been inactive for days, was suddenly switched on. The phone was tracked to the Athens residence where the suspect was staying with his wife and child.

Police reported that the suspect was found in possession of the keys to Ross's apartment. Furthermore, he had allegedly withdrawn €10,000 (approximately £8,500) using her bank cards. The suspect's wife also reportedly grew suspicious after he gave her around £2,000 and a new iPhone shortly before news of Ross's body discovery emerged.

"The testimony of the wife has been crucial, and it would appear that she did not want to be part of the crime committed by her husband. Without her and CCTV evidence, we would not have been able to find this man," a police source stated.

Authorities have not officially released the cause of death, but initial examinations suggest asphyxiation as the most likely cause.

Ross, originally from Edinburgh, had been a regular visitor to Greece for seven years, volunteering with non-governmental organizations assisting refugees, the homeless, and other vulnerable populations. She had previously volunteered with the One Heart organization, which provides medical support to refugees, particularly those from Afghanistan and Iran.

She arrived in Athens on June 26 and was staying with friends before moving to an apartment on Rethymnou Street in the city center on July 2. She was volunteering with a Christian-based NGO at the time of her death.

CCTV footage shows the suspect arriving by car at Ross's ground-floor apartment on the evening of July 16. Approximately 10 p.m., he was filmed carrying a suitcase along the road leading to the abandoned carpark. Thirteen minutes later, he was seen leaving the area without the suitcase.

The last confirmed contact from Ross was a call to a friend at 9:41 p.m. on July 15. Following this, friends and family received messages from her, but they became suspicious due to the unusual language style. Ross had also mentioned wanting to go away and be alone, which was considered out of character. Police believe these messages were sent by the suspect as part of an attempted cover-up.