Liam Payne had 'class A drugs' in body at time of death, forensics say

Liam Payne had Class-A drugs in his body at the time of his death, according to forensic experts. Experts have reportedly discovered traces of cocaine in Wolverhampton star's Payne's body following the death of the 31-year-old singer in Buenos Aires in Argentina.

The ITV The X Factor star died aged 31 last Wednesday. Argentine police believe that Liam, former member of One Direction , was given drugs hidden in a box of Dove soap at the hotel where he was staying in Buenos Aires.

Now, Infobae reports materials extracted from the singer’s body in an autopsy following his death last Wednesday had “determined the presence of the class-A drug", with reports suggesting the substance in question was cocaine.

READ MORE New pay-per-mile car tax bands mean male drivers charged £20 more

Investigators suspect the singer was "preyed upon" by hotel employees who provided him with the substances just 24 hours after he was given the all-clear in a drug test. The theory is that the drugs found in the artist's hotel room came from a poor neighborhood about 15 miles away.

An address in the town of Lomas de Zamora appears to match that of a man suspected of being involved in supplying the substance, according to sources cited by the newspaper. According to American media reports, Payne was under the influence of Cristal , a hallucinogenic substance that causes psychotic episodes .

Authorities are investigating two hotel employees in connection with drug supply, including a cleaner at the CasaSur Boutique Hotel. An unnamed friend of the singer told The Sun : “The embassy said Liam needed to undergo a strict investigation, including X-rays and a blood test to look for traces of drugs.”

People magazine cites a source from the prosecutor's office investigating the case, who says prosecutors believe the drugs were obtained for Liam by an employee at the establishment. “There appears to be evidence that a hotel employee obtained the drugs for Payne,” the source told People.

“A drug distribution charge could follow shortly." A preliminary autopsy report revealed Payne died from multiple “internal and external” injuries and bleeding following the fall. Authorities reported that 25 injuries were found in the autopsy “compatible with those caused by a fall from a height.”