Austrian police say 2 Ukrainians arrested after body found in burnt-out car

VIENNA (AP) — Austrian police said Tuesday that two suspects have been arrested in Ukraine after the body of a 21-year-old man was found in a burnt-out car in Vienna last week.

The police statement said the motive was unclear but “withdrawals from the victim’s crypto wallet were detected and a large amount of cash was seized from the suspects. A motive of greed therefore seems likely.”

Police said they could not give further details on the victim’s identity due to privacy rules, but Austrian news agency APA said he was a Ukrainian citizen.

Police described the suspects as Ukrainian men, aged 19 and 45, but did not release their names. They were arrested on Saturday.

The body was found Wednesday in the back seat of a burnt-out black Mercedes with Ukrainian license plates, police told a press conference. The investigation found the fire was started using gasoline. Investigators found a melted canister on the back seat.

An autopsy revealed signs of “massive force blunt trauma,” suggesting the man could have died before the car was set on fire, according to Gerhard Winkler from the Vienna State Criminal Investigation Office, APA reported.

The news agency said Ukraine’s government had asked Austrian officials that the criminal proceedings take place in Ukraine.