Greek Ambassador To Brazil Latest Update: Body Found In Car, Wife And Officer Arrested

Brazilian authorities said Friday they detained two people in connection with the suspicious disappearance of the Greek ambassador to Brazil, including the diplomat's wife, after a body was found in a burned car rented by the envoy's wife in Rio de Janeiro, according to Reuters.

The 59-year-old Greek ambassador, Kyriakos Amiridis, had been missing since Monday when authorities found a corpse Thursday in a vehicle matching the license plates of one rented out by his wife, Francoise Amiridis, under an overpass near a major Brazilian access road. The Rio de Janeiro homicide division requested a warrant for the arrest of four suspects, including the diplomat's spouse and a military police officer, Sérgio Gomes Moreira Filho, Brazil's Veja magazine reported.

Filho reportedly confessed to his involvement in the crime as well as having intimate relations with the ambassador's wife after investigators filmed him sneaking in and around the diplomat's vacation home in Nova Iguacu, 25 miles north of Rio de Janeiro. The diplomat was reportedly in town for New Years celebrations at Copacabana beach when he left the house Monday without stating where he was going and never returned, according to his wife's testimony Thursday. She reported him missing Wednesday. Police suspect the diplomat's wife could be involved in his disappearance, Veja reported.

Kyriakos Amiridis was appointed the Greek ambassador to Brazil earlier this year and had previously served Greece's consul general in Rio de Janeiro from 2001 to 2004 and later served as ambassador to Libya from 2012 to 2016. The envoy reportedly resides with his wife and daughter in Rio de Janeiro.

Brazil, especially Rio de Janeiro, has long been plagued by high rates of violent crime. Kidnappings are also reportedly common outside banks and ATMs, however, no ransom was sought in the ambassador's disappearance, leading police to suspect foul play.