Willem du Toit, a well-respected engineer, went missing on May 4. His body was found in a shallow grave four days later. (Supplied)
Image: Supplied
Robbery may have been the motive behind the murder of a well-respected civil engineer, whose body was discovered in a shallow grave in the Crammond area, near Pietermaritzburg, on Friday.
Willem du Toit, an engineer with WSP Consulting Engineers working on the N3 upgrades, was reported missing on May 4 after he was last seen at the Arbour Arch Mall near Clarendon.
In a statement Magma Security and Investigations said a large amount of money had been withdrawn from Du Toit's bank account.
"On Friday, after members and Townhill detectives contacted Magma Security, founder and owner Shaheen Suleiman immediately activated his intelligence networks.
"Within just two hours of activating these networks, investigators received actionable information regarding a specific location in the Crammond area. Teams were immediately dispatched to the site," said Magma.
Townhill detectives and Magma investigators searched the area and identified "a suspicious area, which appeared to have been recently disturbed and refilled with sand."
"Pietermaritzburg Search and Rescue was called in to assist, and a K9 unit member and his rescue dog indicated a positive scent at the spot. Working in unison, the team excavated the area, discovering the body of the victim buried in a shallow grave," said Magma.
The operation transitioned in a murder investigation.
"Authorities state that intelligence channels remain active, with investigators actively following leads to trace and apprehend the suspects involved," said Magma.
KwaZulu-Natal police confirmed that a murder investigation was opened.
"Police in Mountain Rise are investigating a case of murder following an incident in which a body of a 67-year-old man was found buried in a shallow grave. The deceased was reported missing on May 4 at Mountain Rise police station," said Sergeant Thenjiswa Ngcobo.
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