MEXICO CITY: The Brazilian police have found a backpack with the personal belongings of missing British journalist Dom Phillips and the ID of his indigenous companion in a river in the eastern part of the country, Sputnik reported, quoting Brazilian news portal G1’s report on Monday, citing authorities.

Phillips and his companion, Bruno Pereira, went missing on June 5 during a reporting mission near the Atalaia do Norte town while travelling by boat. A local citizen was detained on suspicion of involvement in the disappearance of the two men. The duo had been reportedly threatened for their reports on illegal fishing, logging, mining, and drug trafficking in the region.

G1 cited law enforcement officials as saying that they have found the backpack, a notebook, a pair of flip-flops, and Pereira’s ID card near the site of search operation in a remote Amazon rainforest.

On Friday, the police found “organic material” that was “apparently human remains” in the river where the British reporter was last seen. Experts have since been analysing the “organic material”.-Bernama