Nearly a week after the decomposed and headless body of 33-year-old Latvian woman Liga Skromane was found from a mangrove near Vazhamattom in Thiruvananthapuram, the probe is centered around local drug mafia gangs.

According to the post-mortem report, Liga was strangled to death. Her body was found on April 21, more than a month after she was reported missing from an ayurvedic treatment centre in Pothencode. Liga's head was found a little away from her body.

In the days following the recovery of Liga's body, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the case has questioned several people. According to reports, the police team had taken into custody nine persons, including a yoga trainer based in Kovalam. While reports stated that Liga was taken to the forest by the yoga instructor, following which a few other men joined in to strangulate Liga to death, the police refuted such reports.

"There is no yoga instructor in the picture at all. Our investigation is centered around a drug mafia gang, who might have waylaid Liga in the forest. We have, over the last few days, questioned many people," Thiruvananthapuram City Police Commissioner P Prakash said.

Reports quoted unnamed sources in the police department as saying that the key suspects were three people, including one yoga instructor and two people belonging to a local drug mafia gang. The police have reportedly received statements from eyewitnesses, that three men were seen running out of the forest a few days ago.

Meanwhile, the forensic team has combed the area where Liga's body was found, multiple times in the last few days. The police have also found a boat nearby, in which they believe Liga was brought to the forest. Reports state that the forensic team has collected evidence including Liga's hair strands from the boat.

In the coming days, the police is also set to carry out search operations in the water body in the forest.