FISHERMEN heading out to sea off the coast of Cronulla this morning were horrified to come across a blue object police later confirmed to be a dead body wrapped in a tarpaulin.

WARNING: Graphic images below

A fisherman captured pictures of the grim discovery bobbing on the waves about 1.5km off Shelly Beach.

Police investigating the suspected murder of Sydney university student Jamie Gao are currently trying to identify the body which was spotted floating about 7.30am.

Police have confirmed it was wrapped in a blue tarpaulin with water police pulling the body from the water about 9am.

The hairs stood up on my legs, it was a bit freaky to tell you the truth.

The fisherman was out on his boat with a friend when another fisherman called himover to look at an object floating in the water.

He said they quickly realised it was a body and phoned police.

“The hairs stood up on my legs, it was a bit freaky to tell you the truth, to think that someone had been murdered,” he said.

“And it’s murder because you don’t get wrapped up in a tarp, it’s not accidental.”

News_Image_File: A fisherman came across the body off Shelly Beach today.

The fisherman said it appeared the body was inside a surfboard bag wrapped in tarpaulin and rope.

He said a chain was attached to the person’s body in an apparent attempt to weigh it down to the ocean floor, some 30m below.

“He was wrapped up and he had his arms on his chest, you could see his arms through the tarp.

The only thing hanging out were his feet and he had shoes on,” he said.

“I saw it on the news the other night, the guy that was kidnapped in Padstow.

“That went through my mind straight away. A guy got kidnapped, they haven’t found his body, it’s pretty suss.”

Police believe Mr Gao, 20, was kidnapped and allegedly murdered after getting into a white car with two men on Arab Road at Padstow in Sydney’s southwest last Tuesday.

News_Image_File: Picture: Supplied News_Image_File: Picture: Supplied

Former NSW detective Glen McNamara, 55, of Cronulla, was arrested after a vehicle stop in Sydney’s south on Sunday night.

He was later charged with murder and large commercial drug supply and will appear in Kogarah Local Court on Monday.

News_Image_File: Police wheel away a body which was found wrapped in plastic and floating off Cronulla. Picture: Cameron Richardson News_Image_File: Police recovered a body found wrapped in plastic and floating in water near Shelly Beach. Picture: Cameron Richardson

Police will allege in court Mr Gao went with two other Asian males to a meeting in Padstow for a drug deal.

Detective Superintendent Luke Moore this morning said Mr Gao then got into another white car and was driven to another location while a silver car followed.

“We know Mr Gao was taken to a location nearby and at that location we believe he was murdered,” he told reporters on Monday.

News_Image_File: Water police search water of Shelly Beach, Cronulla this morning. Picture Craig Greenhill

Disgraced former detective Roger Rogerson, an associate of McNamara, is also being sought for questioning over the disappearance of Mr Gao. Rogerson has denied any involvement.

News_Module: Body found floating near Shelly Beach