London - Investigators were conducting further tests
on Wednesday in a bid to shed light on the death of Eva Rausing, one of
Britain's richest women, whose body was found in her west London home.
Her husband, Hans Kristian Rausing, has been arrested in connection with her death, which police are treating as unexplained.
US-born
Eva Rausing, aged 48, and her husband were wealthy philanthropists who
have both waged a long battle against drug addiction.
They were
arrested on drug charges in 2008 after Eva Rausing was caught trying to
smuggle crack cocaine and heroin into the US Embassy in London in her
handbag.
Hans Kristian Rausing, aged 49, is an heir to the
TetraPak fortune his father built as a globally successful manufacturer
of laminated cardboard drink containers.
Police found Eva Rausing
dead at her multimillion-pound London home on Monday. Initial
post-mortem examinations on Tuesday failed to establish a formal cause
of her death.
Search led to discovery
The
Metropolitan Police said officers arrested a 49-year-old man Monday in
connection with the case. Police did not release the man's name but
offered details of the arrest in response to a question about Hans
Kristian Rausing.
They said they arrested the man on suspicion of
drug possession, and that a subsequent search of an address in London's
upmarket Belgravia neighbourhood related to that arrest led to the
discovery of Eva Rausing's body later that day.
Police said he
remained under arrest on Wednesday but was receiving medical attention
at a location away from a police station. They would not say if the man
was under guard.
Eva Rausing's parents, Tom and Nancy Kemeny, and
the rest of her family paid tribute to a "devoted wife" and mother of
four "much loved and wonderful children", saying they were devastated
over her death. Their statement also alluded to her struggles.
"During
her short lifetime she made a huge philanthropic impact, supporting a
large number of charitable causes, not only financially, but using her
own personal experiences," the family said in a statement. "She bravely
fought her health issues for many years."
A statement from her in-laws, Hans and Marit Rausing, said they were "deeply shocked and saddened to hear of the tragic death".
Diplomatic scandal
Eva
Rausing supported a number of charities that helped to fight
addictions. One of them — Action on Addiction — was among the first to
express sadness over her death and praise her "wonderfully generous"
support over the years.
She also was listed as a long-time
supporter of The Prince's Foundation, part of a group of nonprofit
charities that have Prince Charles as their patron. His office said the
prince was told of Rausing's death but did not offer further comment.
In
a diplomatic scandal in 2008, Eva Rausing was arrested outside the US
Embassy for reportedly trying to bring crack cocaine and heroin into the
building in her handbag.
Police later found small amounts of
cocaine, crack and heroin in a search of the couple's house. They were
charged with drug possession but prosecutors later agreed to drop the
charges in exchange for formal police warnings.
At the time, the
Rausing family issued a statement saying relatives were "deeply
saddened" by the couple's drug problems and hoped they could overcome
their addictions.
Hans Rausing's Swedish father helped transform
TetraPak into a hugely successful manufacturer. The fortune of the
senior Rausing and his family is estimated at £4.3bn by the Sunday Times
Rich List.
- AP