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Man arrested for supplying drugs to Liam Payne: Argentinian police

    Argentine police on Friday arrested one of two men accused of supplying drugs to British singer Liam Payne before he died from his third-floor hotel room in Buenos Aires.

    Braian Paiz, who is accused of supplying cocaine to Payne, is one of five suspects charged in connection with the October death of the 31-year-old former One Direction pop star.

    Three of the five were charged with manslaughter and the other two with supplying illegal drugs, prosecutors said earlier this week.

    Prosecutors said Payne consumed cocaine, alcohol and a prescription antidepressant before falling to his death from the balcony of his room at the Casa Sur Hotel.

    Paiz, 24, is accused of supplying Payne with drugs two days before his death. His house has been searched, police sources say.

    In November, Paiz denied in a television interview that he had given Payne drugs, although he said he had met the pop star and spent time with him at his hotel.

    Paiz denied taking money for the drugs, but the judge in the case said there was evidence he had been paid.

    Payne had spoken publicly from an early age about struggling with substance abuse and dealing with fame.

    His death caused a global outpouring of grief from family, former bandmates and fans, with thousands of people gathering in cities around the world to express their condolences.

    One Direction, one of the world's highest-grossing live acts in the 2010s, went on indefinite hiatus in 2016.

    Payne enjoyed some solo success before his career stalled.

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