Italian police have arrested two Pakistani men over the deaths of four Pakistani farm workers whose bodies were found in a burnt minivan in southern Italy, according to reports on Tuesday.
According to Italian media, the burnt vehicle was discovered near a petrol station in the village of Amendolara in the Calabria region of Italy.
4 Pakistani farm workers burned alive in Italy
The police said that CCTV footage showed two men locking the van from the outside and throwing a flammable liquid inside. The vehicle caught fire shortly afterwards, and the suspects fled the scene.
Firefighters later put out the blaze and recovered the bodies of four people from inside the van.
Local police chief Antonio Borelli said that the incident was clearly a murder case. “This is definitely murder, we just have to work out the details,” he was quoted by Corriere as saying.
Further, he added that the investigators are now working to confirm the full circumstances and motive.
Media reports said that 14 incidents involving the burning of vehicles carrying Pakistani nationals have been recorded in the same area in recent months.
Authorities believe that the tensions among migrant groups over farm work, residence permits and housing could be one of the reasons behind these incidents.
Police have started questioning the arrested suspects, while further investigations are underway.
Amendolara, 4 braccianti pakistani, impiegati nella raccolta dei pomodori, trovati carbonizzati in un minivan
— Francesca Totolo (@fratotolo2) June 2, 2026
Arrestati due connazionali: i quattro pakistani sono stati bloccati all’interno del veicolo, il quale poi è stato cosparso di carburante e incendiato. pic.twitter.com/f6IpqBdnQA
‘Nationality could not be definitively confirmed’
Responding to the murder of four Pakistani farmers in Italy, the Foreign Office spokesperson said that the bodies of four people had been found in a van that was set on fire in southern Italy.
According to the Foreign Office spokesperson, initial reports indicate that the deceased may be of Pakistani origin. However, their nationality could not be definitively confirmed at this stage.
According to the Foreign Office, the local police are conducting a thorough investigation into the incident to bring out the facts.
The spokesperson further said that the Pakistani Embassy in Italy is in close contact with the local authorities.
Former Islamabad SP Arif Shah sentenced to death
Previously, a former Superintendent (SP) of Islamabad Police, Arif Shah, was given a death penalty over the kidnapping and murder of a young policeman, Hamza Khan. District and Session Judge Afzal Majoka announced the sentence.
Hamza, a friend of Shah’s son, was lured to Mansehra, tortured, shot, and buried in an 8 foot pit. Police cracked the case using CCTV and mobile data.
During the investigation, Arif Shah was taken to the Khaki area in Mansehra. There, he identified the burial site.
According to the reports, a financial dispute between the suspect and the victim was the motive behind the crime.
