Rotting body found wrapped in plastic inside a wheelie bin floating in a dam for days is identified as a father-of-three with a VERY dark past who was reported missing just days before shock discovery

A body was found stuffed into a wheelie bin floating in a dam has been identified as a 'high level' drug dealer and father-of-three.  

Dinh Lam Nguyen, 51, who was well-known to police, was last seen in Balga, north of Perth's CBD, on January 20. 

He was reported missing two days later by his roommate, and on Monday his rotting remains were discovered dumped in the Glen Brook Dam.

A 'foul smell' led a group of teenagers and an adult to open the wheelie bin, which contained Nguyen's decomposing body wrapped in pink plastic.

Police are still hunting for his killer. 

Gruesome images show the father-of-three's body being pulled out of the dam after being discovered in a wheelie bin on Monday

Dinh Lam Nguyen has been identified as the body found in a wheelie bin at Glen Brook Dam in Perth on Monday. It's since been revealed he was a convicted drug dealer

The Vietnamese national was a convicted drug dealer who was sentenced to three years in jail after he was caught with ice in 2016, The West Australian reported. 

Nguyen was found with 27 grams of the illicit drug when he was pulled over by police in South Greenough, around 380km north of Perth, in August 2016. 

A large dagger was also found in his car.

The father had been on bail at the time for being caught with 16.88g of ice with the intent to sell or supply - as well as possessing a knife.

He was sentenced to three years behind bars in 2017 and during his hearing he was labelled a 'higher level' drug dealer. 

Nguyen also had violence, traffic, damage and dishonesty convictions. He had moved to Australia in 1990 to avoid army conscription.

A 'foul smell' led a group of teenagers and an adult to open the wheelie bin, which contained Nguyen's decomposing body wrapped in pink plastic

Nguyen's car (pictured above) has also gone missing following his gruesome death - and has still not been found

Acting Detective Inspector Sean Wright confirmed on Wednesday Nguyen had family and children, some based in Perth.

'They are going through the grieving process, they are very distraught,' he said.

'They are going to give us some lifestyle ... so we know more about him. 

'Mr Nguyen is known to police. We need to identify what caused his death and who did it.' 

Nguyen was last seen driving away from his house by his roommate in his blue Mazda 3 sedan - which has since gone missing. 

His body, found near a picnic area at John Forrest National Park, was wrapped in pink plastic, with locals initially thinking ignoring the bin because they thought it was just filled with rubbish. 

Police divers after removing the Dinh Lam Nguyen's body from the wheelie bin in Perth's Glen Brook Dam

A group of teenagers opened the wheelie bin due to the horrific smell and were confronted with human remains (pictured, police removing the body from the scene)

But after the group of teenagers made the grim discovery, police waded into the waist-deep water to retrieve the body, with a post mortem underway to determine exactly how long the remains had been in the dam. 

Acting Detective inspector Wright confirmed the members of the public were alerted to the wheelie bin due to its foul odour. 

'The circumstances surrounding human remains in a bin at a picnic site in a dam is highly unusual,' he said.

CCTV footage obtained from the park could also potentially reveal who placed the victim in the dam.  

An autopsy will be conducted this week to determine the cause of death. 

Police are also expected to remain at the dam for the next few days as they conduct a full forensic check of the area for possible further evidence