Liam Payne was 'preyed on' by dealers: Singer had been clean 'for weeks' and was winning battle against his demons in US before he was given drugs at Buenos Aires hotel, close friend says

Liam Payne had got cleanable from drugs and was winning the conflict against his demons portion surviving successful the US - but was dragged backmost into despair by cause dealers who preyed connected him astatine a edifice successful Buenos Aires, a adjacent person has revealed.

The 31-year-old erstwhile One Direction vocalist had struggled with mediocre intelligence wellness for years and had sought attraction for his excessive alcohol and cause consumption.

But Payne had precocious got cleanable and had been taken connected by caller psychiatrist successful Miami wherever helium hoped to commencement a caller beingness with woman Kate Cassidy.

However, his betterment was shattered during his ill-fated travel to Argentina to renew his US visa erstwhile helium was targeted by cause dealers who delivered them to his edifice room.

A adjacent person of the prima revealed: 'Liam had been cleanable for weeks. He had been to rehab much than once. He had had attraction successful the UK and successful California.

'And helium had precocious been taken connected by a caller psychiatrist successful Florida. Everyone astir Liam hoped that helium was connected the way to recovery.

'He went to Argentina to renew his USA visa wherever helium had to acquisition aesculapian introspection due to the fact that of his past with intoxicant and drugs.

'The results of the tests were good. Liam was 100 per cent sober. But erstwhile helium checked successful astatine the hotel, astatine immoderate constituent idiosyncratic determination started giving him drugs.

'Liam had tried truly hard to get clean, past they preyed connected him. These radical lone attraction astir money. They didn't attraction astir his health.'

Staff astatine the Casa Sur Hotel wherever Payne fell to his decease are being investigated connected suspicion of supplying the prima with drugs successful the days starring up to the tragedy.

The men are accused of smuggling assorted narcotics into the singer's suite astatine the boutique edifice successful the upmarket territory of Palermo.

A cleaner and different subordinate of unit are said to person hidden the drugs successful a Dove soap container which detectives recovered successful Payne's country pursuing his death.

White powder, traces of chemic crystals, medicine tablets and different cause paraphernalia were discovered successful the third-floor suite.

Police person sent the chemicals – believed to beryllium cocaine and ace cocaine - distant for analysis.

Detectives are besides investigating wherefore a taxi was booked successful Payne's sanction to spell to a poverty-stricken neighbourhood 15 miles away.

The code successful the metropolis of Lomas de Zamora is said to lucifer up with a antheral suspected of being progressive successful supplying the substance, sources said.

The confidant explained: 'There were 2 guys astatine the edifice that were giving Liam drugs. They sent taxis retired to cod packages for him.

'One of the guys was moving successful the cleaning department. After Liam died, they noticed that 1 taxi was sent to the cleaner's location address.

'The edifice manager asked him wherefore the taxi had gone to his location and erstwhile helium couldn't springiness an mentation helium was fired.

'The cleaner and different subordinate of unit person been interviewed by the police.'

The person added: 'Liam was doing everything to enactment cleanable but arsenic soon arsenic helium got to the edifice these radical were offering him intoxicant and drugs.'

Payne died aft helium fell from the balcony of his third-floor suite astatine the edifice past Wednesday afternoon.

The father-of-one died from aggregate injuries, a station mortem revealed.

But Argentina's National Criminal and Correctional Prosecutor's Office is presently treating his decease arsenic 'inconclusive' portion they await the results of toxicological examinations.

Lead investigator, Prosecutor Marcelo Roma, is probing what relation his depletion of amerciable drugs and medicine medicine had successful his death.

The results of these tests are expected to instrumentality betwixt 10 and 15 days.

Payne's begetter Geoff Payne arrived successful the Argentine superior astatine the extremity of past week to formally place his son's assemblage and to put for its repatriation backmost to the UK erstwhile it is released by the authorities.

The singer's ceremonial is expected to instrumentality spot successful November.