Khashoggi body 'smuggled out of consulate in five suitcases', according to Turkish media

The body of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was dismembered and his remains smuggled out of the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in five suitcases, Turkish media claimed on Sunday.

Unnamed officials told Daily Sabah that Khashoggi was strangled once he entered the Saudi consulate on 2 October and his body cut up by a team of forensic experts.

His remains were then taken out of the consulate in five suitcases on the day of his murder, according to the Turkish daily.

Khashoggi's body has not been found and Turkish investigators are trying to identify what happened in the consulate the day he went missing and who murdered him.

Turkish intelligence have already identified a 15 men team that entered Turkey that day of being behind the killing of the journalist, with most of the suspects identified as royal court insiders or security officials.

The new report identified three men as being key to the grizly task of disposing Khashoggi's body.

Maher Mutreb, Salah al-Tubaigy and Thaar al-Harbi from the team were named as the suspected agents resonsible for dismembering and removing Khashoggi's body from the consulate.

Mutreb was an aide of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Tubaigy head of the Saudi Scientific Council of Forensics and a colonel, while Harbi was respected member of the Saudi royal guard.

All were spotted on security cameras travelling between the Saudi consulate and the nearby consular general's residence, which Turkish police have already searched.

Previous reports have stated that his body was dissolved in acid or buried in a well shaft.

"This is a looming question. No one knows where the body went. One Turkish official is reported saying that there was acid used to dissolve the bodies, there's another report that the well shaft was used in the garden of the consul general's residence. It is unclear," Andrew Simmons, an Al Jazeera journalist reported.

Turkey has complained that although Saudi Arabia has admitted its officials carried out the murder - but said it was done without the knowledge of the powerful crown prince - it has not been cooperating in the murder enquiry.

On Friday, Erdogan hinted that the Saudi crown prince could be behind Khashoggi's murder.

Experts believe Khashoggi might have been killed due to his growing criticism of Mohammed bin Salman and the crown prince's disastrous war in Yemen.