CALABRIA: Italian police have arrested two Pakistani nationals in connection with the murder of four Pakistani farm workers whose bodies were discovered inside a burnt-out minivan in southern Italy, according to a report by Corriere della Sera published on Tuesday.
The charred vehicle was found at a petrol station near the village of Amendolara, located in a large agricultural area of Italy’s Calabria region.
According to the newspaper, CCTV footage from the petrol station captured two individuals blocking the van’s doors from the outside before throwing a liquid substance into the vehicle. The report, citing law enforcement sources, said the footage then showed a fire erupting inside the van as the suspects fled the scene.
Firefighters later extinguished the blaze and discovered the bodies of the four victims inside the vehicle.
Local police chief Antonio Borelli told Corriere della Sera that investigators were treating the case as murder. “This is definitely murder, we just have to work out the details,” he was quoted as saying.
The newspaper also reported that the area has witnessed 14 cases of arson involving cars and minivans used to transport migrants in recent months.
According to the report, tensions have been growing among migrant communities in the region over issues such as the allocation of farm work, residency documentation and accommodation, factors that investigators may examine as part of the case.