Afghan cleaner confesses to moving body of British woman who was found in a suitcase in Athens

By VIVEK CHAUDHARY, SENIOR REPORTER Published: 02:34, 3 August 2026 | Updated: 02:34, 3 August 2026 A man has admitted to moving the body of a Scottish woman in a suitcase, Greek police said yesterday. The suspect, believed to be a 26-year-old Afghan who was a cleaner at the building where Elisabeth-Jane Ross was staying, has been arrested in connection with her 'intentional homicide'. The 38-year-old's remains were discovered by a homeless man in an abandoned car park in the Kypseli district of Athens on July 18. The suspect is said to have met Ms Ross through her work helping refugees and the homeless. He was detained in central Athens after allegedly withdrawing money using Ms Ross's bank cards after the killing. He is said to have admitted transporting her body in a suitcase to the car park. Her body was discovered three days after she had told Greek friends, whom she was staying with outside Athens, that she was going to Kypseli to visit some Americans she knew. George Kalliakmanis, president of the Attica police officers' union, said the man was thought to be a cleaner in the building where Ms Ross was staying with her Greek friends.  Police added: 'A 26-year-old foreign national has been identified in connection with the case. A criminal file has been opened against him for intentional homicide, robbery, and violations of weapons legislation.' They confirmed that fingerprint evidence was discovered on the suitcase and CCTV showed a man carrying it to the abandoned car park.  Elisabeth Jane Ross was found dead with her body stuffed inside a suitcase in Athens, Greece The address where Ms Ross had been staying prior to being found. Her body was discovered three days after telling Greek friends that she was going to Kypseli Ms Ross's phone was seeminly still being used after she died  Your browser does not support iframes. In a statement, Greek police added: 'He was brought to the division's headquarters on Thursday, July 30, and confessed to his actions. 'It was established that the 26-year-old placed the body in a suitcase and transported it to the abandoned site. 'Furthermore, in the days that followed, he used the victim's bank cards to withdraw cash. 'During searches conducted at his residence, a replica pistol and a knife were found and seized; consequently, he was arrested for violating the law on weapons.'  Ms Ross, a committed Christian known as Lisa who arrived in Athens on June 26, had been visiting Greece regularly for seven years. She volunteered with the One Heart organisation there, which specialises in providing medical support to refugees, particularly those from Afghanistan or Iran. In an apparent attempt to cover up after her death, her killer is understood to have sent texts from her phone and posted on her Facebook page to give the impression she was still alive. A text from her mobile on July 15 to a Greek friend read: 'I need some time – I'm going to a Greek island.' Messages to her family claimed that she 'wanted to be alone for a while'. Her mobile was switched off as her death was reported across the globe. Ms Ross's father, from Edinburgh, told officers he had been receiving messages from July 15 to 29.