An unidentified body wrapped in plastic was discovered in a remote village in Pursat province on Tuesday morning, authorities said yesterday.

Bakan district police said they suspected murder, as several lacerations were visible on the body. Yem Yoeun, the district deputy police chief, said that a team went to the scene upon receiving a report from the village chief about a bag that was emitting a foul odour.

“The experts examined and cut open the bag, mosquito net and scotch tape to examine the contents … They found the body of a man who was about 40 years old with many slash marks on the back and the body was rotten and smelly,” he said.

He added that authorities have yet to identify the victim as there were no valuables or clothing on the body. Photos of the victim have been posted on the district police’s Facebook page asking people with missing family members to contact them.

Yoeun said that the heavily decomposed body could not be transferred to a provincial hospital morgue and was cremated on-site. Investigations into the identity of the victim and the perpetrators are ongoing.