Three men who allegedly beat, kidnapped and murdered a 74-year-old German tourist have been arrested.
The victim departed from Botswana on Friday and drove to South Africa. He arrived at Lephalale in the Waterberg district on Saturday morning, said police spokesperson Col Malesela Ledwaba.
He said the tourist stopped to give a male hitchhiker a lift. They had a friendly interaction and the tourist asked his passenger for advice about where to stay in North West, where he would continue his journey across the country.
On arrival in Moruleng, the suspect suggested they stop at a liquor outlet where they had a few drinks.
"That's when the suspect told his two friends the elderly man was expecting a substantial amount of money from his family abroad."
They drove with him to where he was staying. There they allegedly tied him up and assaulted him while demanding his bank pin code. They also searched him and took an undisclosed amount of cash and valuables.
The three suspects removed the vehicle's number plates and drove with the victim while allegedly assaulting him to Northam in Limpopo using a secluded gravel road. At a farm, two suspects dragged the victim from the vehicle and dumped him in bushes.
"Security officials, together with a patrolling member of Rural Safety, noticed a suspicious vehicle parked at night and without number plates. They stopped to investigate. They noticed a suspect's blood-stained T-shirt and they notified the police."
Police officers found the victim's body in bushes.
The suspects had fled the scene.
"An intelligence driven operation was activated and two suspects were arrested in North West later in the evening in possession of some of the deceased's belongings."
Limpopo police commissioner Lt-Gen Thembi Hadebe commended police for the swift arrest of the three suspects, aged between 24 and 46.
"
Ledwaba said the three foreign national suspects are expected to appear before the Northam magistrate’s court on Monday.
TimesLIVE
Elderly German tourist killed by hitchhiker he befriended
Image: Denis Droppa
Three men who allegedly beat, kidnapped and murdered a 74-year-old German tourist have been arrested.
The victim departed from Botswana on Friday and drove to South Africa. He arrived at Lephalale in the Waterberg district on Saturday morning, said police spokesperson Col Malesela Ledwaba.
He said the tourist stopped to give a male hitchhiker a lift. They had a friendly interaction and the tourist asked his passenger for advice about where to stay in North West, where he would continue his journey across the country.
On arrival in Moruleng, the suspect suggested they stop at a liquor outlet where they had a few drinks.
"That's when the suspect told his two friends the elderly man was expecting a substantial amount of money from his family abroad."
They drove with him to where he was staying. There they allegedly tied him up and assaulted him while demanding his bank pin code. They also searched him and took an undisclosed amount of cash and valuables.
The three suspects removed the vehicle's number plates and drove with the victim while allegedly assaulting him to Northam in Limpopo using a secluded gravel road. At a farm, two suspects dragged the victim from the vehicle and dumped him in bushes.
"Security officials, together with a patrolling member of Rural Safety, noticed a suspicious vehicle parked at night and without number plates. They stopped to investigate. They noticed a suspect's blood-stained T-shirt and they notified the police."
Police officers found the victim's body in bushes.
The suspects had fled the scene.
"An intelligence driven operation was activated and two suspects were arrested in North West later in the evening in possession of some of the deceased's belongings."
Limpopo police commissioner Lt-Gen Thembi Hadebe commended police for the swift arrest of the three suspects, aged between 24 and 46.
"
Ledwaba said the three foreign national suspects are expected to appear before the Northam magistrate’s court on Monday.
TimesLIVE
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