The two men suspected in connection with the disappearance of Birna Brjánsdóttir, the 20-year-old Icelandic woman who has been missing since Saturday, spent the night at the Reykjavík police station, to allow police officers easy access to them, RÚV reports. They will be transferred to Litla Hraun prison tonight.
After interrogating the third man who was arrested in connection with Birna’s disappearance, police decided not to request custody of him. He was released yesterday and is no longer a suspect.
The two suspects are Greenlanders and crew members of the trawler Polar Nanoq.
Police officers have confiscated their cell phones and are now analyzing their phone records.
According to Vísir, yesterday’s decision by the Reykjanes District Court to grant police a two-week custody over them, was based on paragraph 211 of the criminal code, which has to do with homicide. A four-week custody had been requested by the police, who have decided to appeal the the District Court’s decision to the Supreme Court in order to extend the length of the custody.
Inspector Einar Guðberg Jónsson was asked whether biological samples had been sent abroad for DNA analysis. He responded, “Many samples are being analyzed, including biological ones, but I don’t have precise information in front of me what the status is in that regard.”
A fourth man, also a crew member of Polar Nanoq, will be in police custody until Monday, following the discovery of more than 20 kg (44 lbs.) of hashish onboard the trawler, RÚV reports. He is not a suspect in the case of the missing woman.
