Six individuals have been arrested by South African police in connection with the murder of footballer Luke Fleurs.

South African police announced on Wednesday the arrest of six suspects in connection with the murder of footballer Luke Fleurs, a player for the renowned Johannesburg club Kaizer Chiefs.

The 24-year-old defender was fatally shot last week while refueling his car at a gas station in a northwestern suburb of the city, marking yet another shocking incident in the crime-ridden nation.

“Police have arrested six suspects for the alleged hijacking and murder,” stated police spokesman Mavela Masondo (SAPS).

According to authorities, Fleurs was waiting at a petrol station in his Volkswagen Golf 8 GTI when two assailants confronted him, ordering him out of the vehicle at gunpoint.

After complying, he was shot before the perpetratorsMasondo revealed that the arrests took place early on Wednesday in the southwestern township of Soweto, following the recovery of Fleurs’s car by detectives two days prior.

Investigators suspect the arrested individuals are linked to a crime syndicate involved in other car hijackings across Johannesburg’s Gauteng provinc

“The search for more suspects is ongoing,” Masondo added

South Africa grapples with a high rate of violent crime, a prominent issue ahead of the upcoming general elections in May, with opposition parties criticizing the government’s perceived failure in addressing the issu

The country recorded an average of almost 84 murders per day between October and December, according to official statistic

Kaizer Chiefs, one of South Africa’s premier football Six individuals have been arrested by South African police in connection with the murder of footballer Luke Fleurs.clubs, boasts a record 53 domestic trophies.