Two severed limbs and a bag of flesh have been found floating in a river near a Masterchef judge’s restaurant.

A forearm – severed at the elbow and wrist – was seen floating near the jetty outside Gary Mehigan’s Boathouse restaurant on the Maribyrnong River in Melbourne.

Diners spotted the arm around 1.30pm on Thursday and called police, who fished it out.

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Homicide squad detective senior sergeant Stuart Bailey said searches had been conducted 2km either side of the Boathouse.

The distinctive devil tattoo discovered on the inner forearm.

“At 4.45pm today we also found another limb. We’re not sure what part of the limb it is at this point of time,” Det Snr Sgt Bailey told reporters.

He said a black plastic bag was found further up river around 7pm.

“That appears to have human flesh also in that bag,” he said.

Det Snr Sgt Bailey said the death was being treated as suspicious, but missing persons records hadn’t shown anything obvious.

He said it was unclear where the white-skinned body parts had been dumped.

“The river is guided by the tides,” he said.

“How long the human remains have been in that river is uncertain.”

Victoria Police released an image of the devil tattoo on the forearm and appealed to the public to try and help identify the man.

Police divers will continue searching, while forensic tests on the body parts will be done on Friday.

-AAP