A British national has been detained in Ecuador in connection with the death of a woman whose body was discovered in a suitcase in Colombia. Matthew Ashley Foster-Smith, 46, from Bournemouth, England, is accused by Colombian authorities of killing 36-year-old Natalia Villalba in an apartment in Bogotá on June 18.
According to the Attorney General's Office in Colombia, Foster-Smith is suspected of beating Villalba to death before placing her body in a suitcase in an attempt to hide the incident. He is then alleged to have fled the scene.
Colombian prosecutors obtained an arrest warrant, and an Interpol Red Notice was subsequently issued. Foster-Smith was apprehended at Quito International Airport in Ecuador. The mayor of Bogotá, Carlos Fernando Galan, stated that Dorset Police in the UK provided assistance in locating Foster-Smith.
A spokesperson for the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office confirmed that support is being provided to a British man detained in Ecuador and that contact has been made with local authorities. Dorset Police have been approached for comment.