The National Police have explained that they had to check some 100,000 white vans in trying to locate the one from which a German tourist was thrown onto the MA-19 motorway in October 2022 and then run over and killed.
Earlier this week, three arrests were made in connection with what became a murder investigation after the police had established that the 20-year-old tourist had not simply been the victim of a road accident.
Crucial evidence was supplied by a driver who witnessed the man being thrown from the van. Supplied with this information, the police opened an investigation, confirming that the tourist had been bundled into a van after leaving a club in Playa de Palma, then robbed and thrown from the van.
The witness was unable to give information regarding a number plate, only a description of the van. So started the lengthy and complex tracing process. The van in question belonged to a company. A few days after the incident, the company's logo and details had been put on the van. The employee who was using the van at the time, the police came to establish, was no longer working for the company.
He was finally located in Malaga, as was one other person. They were arrested on Monday. A third person was arrested in Palma on Tuesday. The ex-employee was then released, the police satisfied that he had played no part in the incident. The van had been used by the two others. Both have been remanded in custody.