Gardaí expect to launch a full-scale murder inquiry later today after a post-mortem is carried out on the body of young man, found near the Grand Canal in Dublin yesterday.
The remains were uncovered when detectives investigating the drugs-related disappearance of a 17-year-old from Ballyfermot in the west of the city received an anonymous tip-off.
The youth vanished in January 1999 and is thought to have been killed and buried in the Clondalkin area.
His family believe he was abducted over a heroin debt of several thousand pounds.
At around 4.30 p.m. yesterday a Garda forensics team dug up the body close to the canal at the rear of the Gilbey's factory at Nangor Road, Clondalkin.
The assistant State pathologist, Dr Marie Cassidy, carried out a preliminary examination of the body at the scene.
A full post-mortem is scheduled for early today.
No formal identification had yet been made last night but gardaí were in contact with the family of the missing Ballyfermot teenager.
However, they stopped short of confirming that the remains matched the description of the youth.
According to gardaí, the man was found buried in a shallow grave in a ditch close to the canal, about a half mile from the ninth lock.
The scene was sealed off and the body remained there overnight at the request of Dr Cassidy.
She will conduct a second examination of it this morning before it is removed to the City Morgue.
The missing teenager is believed to have been working for a major drugs supplier in west Dublin at the time of his disappearance. He was recruited to sell heroin to teenagers.