In the case of the three killed prostitutes in the Italian capital Rome, the authorities have arrested a suspect.

The police confirmed this on Saturday when asked.

The spokeswoman did not give any further details.

The three women, two Chinese and one Colombian, were found Thursday in two apartments not far from each other in the central Prati district.

Shortly after the find, the theory of a single perpetrator came up.

According to the Ansa news agency, the arrested person is a 51-year-old Italian.

The man was arrested in the early hours of the morning on the western outskirts of Rome.

According to information from several media, he has a criminal record for drug offenses and used to be the chauffeur of a boss of the Italian Mafia Camorra.

A witness put the investigators on the track.

The police are aware of how shocked the citizens are about the case, it said in a statement on Saturday.

"I can assure you that the situation is under strict control."