The dismembered remains were found in a suitcase in Almancil and belong to a 49-year-old woman, residing in Quarteira, who had been missing since the end of June, a police source told Lusa.

"All the evidence collected so far points to the fact that the corpse belongs to a missing person," said the same source, adding that the victim's family has already been informed.

Authorities are still carrying out investigations to definitively certify the victim's identity and determine the circumstances of death, added the same source.

The body was found in an area of ​​inaccessible woods, in Almancil, in the municipality of Loulé (Faro), on Monday, following the detection of a bad smell in the area.

The victim has been identified in the press as Sandra Andrade, the driver of a TVDE taxi who went missing after work in Quarteira on 24 June.