OFF THE WIRE
Andrew Dowdell
Police and SES officers investigate the discovery of a body on Gum View Rd, Kuitpo Forest. Picture: Brooke Whatnall Source: Sunday Mail (SA)
A FINKS associate missing in mysterious circumstances may have been killed and buried in Kuitpo Forest.
Police were last night examining freshly dug soil in the area, south-west of Meadows - but refused to disclose any details.Convicted drug dealer Michael Varehov, of Mawson Lakes, was allegedly assaulted and then driven from a Beaumont house on Thursday night.
Mr Varehov, 45, was jailed for six years in 1994 for selling heroin in Adelaide's northern suburbs and was one of 18 people arrested over an amphetamines ring in the NSW town of Dubbo in 2004.
Body found
Police and SES officers investigate the discovery of a body on Gum View Rd, Kuitpo Forest. Picture: Brooke Whatnall
Source: Sunday Mail (SA)
Earlier yesterday, Detective Inspector Mark Trenwith revealed police were called to a disturbance in McAllan Ave, Beaumont, late on Thursday night, after Mr Varehov was believed to have been taken from the home in a grey Peugeot sedan with registration number BB-713W.
"There was evidence of a serious assault and disturbance of some kind and the crime scene is now being processed by forensic crime scene experts," Det Insp Trenwith said. He would not comment on how police believe the assault had been carried out or whether weapons had been used.
A full member of the Finks, 51, has been charged with causing serious harm to Mr Varehov - even though he has not been seen for four days. The Finks member has been refused police bail and will appear in Adelaide Magistrates Court on Tuesday. "We have interviewed a number of relatives and associates of the missing man and have not been able to locate him," Det Insp Trenwith said.
Police raided the Finks clubrooms at Thebarton early yesterday but would not comment on what items were seized from the clubhouse.
Mr Varehov is described as being of Asian appearance and stocky build, 164cm tall and weighing about 80kg. He usually wears prescription sunglasses.
Det Insp Trenwith stressed that the disappearance was not believed to be part of any ongoing conflict between rival gangs.
"There doesn't appear to be conflict between outlaw motorcycle gangs but (this) appears to be the result of the unlawful activities of those gangs," he said.
