Lima. Peruvian authorities have detained five Venezuelan nationals in connection with the murder of Indonesian diplomat Zetro Leonardo Purba, who was gunned down outside his residence in Lima earlier this month, according to state news agency Andina.

The arrests took place on September 9 in the capital following an operation by the Peruvian National Police (PNP), who also seized the pistol believed to have been used in the killing. Forensic tests confirmed that bullets recovered from the diplomat’s body and the crime scene matched the weapon.

Police said one of the suspects owned the motorcycle allegedly used in the attack, though the motive for the crime remains unclear.

On the day of the arrests, the PNP announced via social media that five suspected members of a gang known as Los Maleantes del Cono (“The Cone Thugs”) had been taken into custody in Lima’s San Martín de Porres district. Officers reported confiscating a loaded pistol, explosives, fuses, narcotics, 10 cellphones, and the motorcycle linked to the case. However, the police statement did not identify the detainees’ nationality or connect them directly to the diplomat’s murder.

Zetro, 40, was shot by assailants on September 1 as he arrived by bicycle at his apartment building in Lima’s Lince district, where he had been living with his family for the past five months.

“The circumstances and motives behind this person's victimization are unknown, but a settling of scores cannot be ruled out," said Lince Police Station Commissioner David Guivar, speaking to state broadcaster TV Peru.

Peruvian authorities continue to investigate the case, while the Indonesian Embassy has not yet commented publicly on the arrests.

Add as a preferred source on Google +