‘He can finally go home’: Liam Payne’s final goodbye begins as Argentina police raids home of his ‘friend’

Almost a month after his tragic death, Liam Payne is being moved from a British cemetery in Buenos Aires, Argentina, to the country’s airport. That means the extremely popular former One Direction singer is probably heading home. The news will come as a welcome relief to his family, who have been waiting to give him a proper funeral for weeks.

An anonymous source told Reuters that Payne, whose body was held by local authorities while they completed various toxicology and laboratory reports, was moved at around 6am local time. Fans on social media were glad that Payne will finally be returning to the U.K. “It’s official. Liam’s body is being prepared for return to London this Wednesday and will not be cremated. It’s a relief that he can finally go home and have a proper goodbye, but it’s still so unfair and painful,” X user freya wrote.

Payne was just 31 years old when he died after tragically falling from the balcony of his third-floor hotel room in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Oct. 16. He suffered several internal and external traumas and was unable to be saved. Toxicology reports revealed that the drugs that are used to make up “pink cocaine” were found in the singer’s system. He had also trashed his room and was allegedly spotted (and photographed) acting erratically in the hotel lobby shortly before his death.

The investigation into Payne’s death is still ongoing as police in Argentina conducted another round of raids on the homes of two hotel employees and a “friend” of the singer. Law enforcement sources told TMZ that police carried out the raids on the night of Nov. 5. The lockers of those employed by the CasaSur Palermo hotel, who are believed to have interacted with the singer, were thoroughly searched,, and security footage from the day of the tragic incident has also been reviewed.

According to the publication, local police used old text messages on Payne’s phone to identify a “friend” who is also a person of interest in the investigation due to the drugs that were found at the scene. This individual was nowhere to be found when his place of residence was raided on Nov. 5. During the first round of raids at the hotel, police seized electronic and paper records, along with videos of the hotel’s underground area. No one has been officially charged with anything or arrested at this time.

Meanwhile, Simon Cowell is doing his best to protect Liam’s ex-girlfriend Cheryl Cole and their seven-year-old son Bear. The X-Factor judge has reportedly been providing emotional support to the pair during their time of grief. “All he wants is to look after Cheryl and to ensure she can do the best for Bear,” a source familiar with the situation said. “In a few years’ time, he and Cheryl fear that Bear will be able to access the internet and may be able to see terrible images of his dad and read about his rumored addiction issues and personal demons.”