Man arrested after murder of Irishman in Portugal 'suspected of drug trafficking'

Another Northern Irish man is a suspect, reports said.

Portuguese police believe the victim was 22.

Local authorities said he died after being stabbed several times near the Correeira Luxury Residence tourist complex in the centre of Albufeira.

Portuguese police believe the murder took place between Sunday night and the early hours of Monday morning.

The Volunteer Firefighters of Albufeira told the news website Jornal de Noticias that they were “alerted to a case of an unconscious person” at 6.37am.

The second-in-command of the operation, Rui Fernandes, said volunteers found the individual “in cardiorespiratory arrest, with rigor mortis and incisive wounds in the chest”.

Mr Fernandes said the victim was inside the apartment residence, “backed up against a wall”.

A spokesman for the country’s Policia Judiciaria (PJ) force said: “The PJ, through its southern command, has arrested a 30-year-old man strongly suspected of the crimes of murder and drug trafficking in the municipality of Albufeira.

“The crime took place in the early hours of April 25 inside an apartment located in a tourist complex in the town of Albufeira.

“It was established a man aged 22 had been assaulted by an individual he knew with a bladed weapon, suffering serious injuries that resulted in his death.

“Investigative work and the obtention of relevant evidence led to the arrest of the suspected author.

“The detainee, who is unemployed and was known to police over the previous practice of violent crimes, will appear in court today so he can be questioned and a decision taken on his immediate future.”