A judge in Spain has authorised the extraction of data from the phone of Mitchell Ong, who is under investigation for his alleged role in the murder of Singaporean tourist Audrey Fang.

Fang, who had been on holiday in the Spanish region of Murcia, was found dead with 30 stab wounds over a month ago.

Several days after the discovery of her body, Ong, who is also Singaporean, was arrested by Spanish police.

Authorities hope to find 'crucial information'

Besides the extraction of data from Ong's mobile phone, the judge also ordered the cloning of both Ong's and Fang's computer hard drives.

According to a report by Spanish newspaper La Verdad, the judge justified the order by saying that there are clear objective indications of Ong's involvement in the crime, not just mere suspicion.

Only information pertaining to the case is authorised to be extracted from Ong's cell phone, however.

The task was entrusted to the technological crimes team of the Murcia Civil Guard, who will hand the collected data to investigators to prepare a report.

The magistrate has scheduled a hearing for next week.

The case against Ong

Police have uncovered a substantial amount of evidence that appears to point to Ong's involvement in the crime.

Spanish police have "proven" Ong and Fang's mobile phones were together on the night Fang was last seen alive.

That night, Ong was spotted on CCTV footage picking up Fang from her hotel in a rented Nissan Qashqai, which he later cleaned with a vacuum cleaner he had just bought.

At the site Fang's body was found, police reportedly found footprints that match a pair of Nike sneakers found in Ong's hotel room.

Still many more questions than answers

One month after Fang's murder and Ong's arrest, many case details remain unknown.

On an iPad recovered from Fang's hotel room, authorities found a note stating that she wished to leave her Central Provident Fund money to an unknown person regarded as her "long-time friend and trusted confidant".

Ong had also been known to Fang years before the latter's death — Fang had bought insurance policies from him in 2015.

Spanish police say there may have been romantic or economic motives behind the killing, but the exact nature of the duo's relationship remains unknown.

Ong has declined to give a statement, which is his right under Spanish law, and his lawyer said earlier this month that there are no plans for him to do so.

According to La Verdad, Ong reportedly told a judge he was a "good person" when he appeared in court last month.

Ong remains remanded in Sangonera prison in Murcia.

He has yet to be formally charged of a crime, and was denied bail after being assessed to be a flight risk.

Under Spanish law, pre-trial detention can be for up to two years, and the period can be extended by another two years for serious offences.

Top collage via @strongestasian/Instagram and Pexels