Police have released a chilling image of the moment a former police officer and another man allegedly haul the dead body of a sex worker along the pavement in a huge bag.

The corpse which was found in a suitcase in Bucaramanga, Colombia, last week, is reportedly identified as 22yrs old Julieth Jhoann Alvarez Mejia.

Police have now named ex-officer Edwin Yesid Ardila, 33, as a suspect after making the grisly find in Bolivar Park.

According to Vanguardia, he agreed to go back to the victim’s apartment and, apparently for no reason and under the influence of psychoactive substances, he suffocated the sex worker to death at around 5 am.

The victim’s body remained in the flat for almost 12 hours when, at around 5.30 pm, Yesid Ardila allegedly arranged it in the foetal position and put it in a bag.

Yesid Ardila allegedly told the associate, whose name has not been revealed, that the bag was filled with rubble, and they dumped it on a street corner, where it was later found by a passerby.

The suspect’s associate reportedly informed the police, claiming he did not know there was a body in the bag and that Yesid Ardila had lied about its contents.

The suspect was subsequently arrested by the police.

During the hearing of the charges, it was revealed that the former cop was released from the police force over 10 years ago for drug addiction and mental health issues, according to Blu Radio.

Sonia Ayala, a psychologist who was consulted by the police, is quoted as saying:

“He is a person with severe mental health issues. He did not even think about what he had done, the only concern he had was how to get rid of the body.”

The suspect is being held in custody as the investigation continues.