Dubai: Police have solved the mystery behind a missing tourist whose body was found buried in the desert, officials said on Tuesday.

Major-General Abdullah Khalifa Al Merri, Commander-in-Chief of Dubai Police, said the Asian tourist came to Dubai and was reported missing before his body was found buried in the desert of a neighbouring emirate. Later, the police arrested four people suspected of fatally assaulting the tourist over a financial dispute. The tourist was allegedly murdered by an Asian woman, her son and two other people because of a financial dispute in their home country.

Major-General Khalil Ebrahim Al Mansouri, Assistant Commander-in-Chief for Criminal Investigation Affairs at Dubai Police, said the tourist’s son came to the country in August this year and informed the airport police station about his father who came to the country and then disappeared.

“The 55-year-old tourist arrived in the country but his family members got worried after he went missing. We discovered that the man did not have relatives or friends in the UAE,” Maj-Gen Al Mansouri said.

Investigations led the police to a 47-year-old woman who came to the country with her 29-year-old son and two others the same day the victim entered the UAE. The victim and the suspects are from the same country.

“They left the country before we were alerted about the missing tourist. However, we found the body buried in the desert in a neighbouring emirate and our sources confirmed a financial dispute between the woman and the victim,” Maj-Gen Al Mansouri added.

The police found out that the victim’s credit card was used in a European country to withdraw Dh200,000 from his account after he went missing.

Interpol warrant

Lieutenant-Colonel Adil Al Joker, head of investigation at Dubai Police’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID), said they issued an international warrant to arrest the four suspects and they were handed over to Dubai Police recently.

“We questioned the suspects and they confessed that they had entered the country and deceived the victim to join them in their car before fatally assaulting him for revenge,” Lt Col Al Joker said.

They kept his body inside the car for two days and then buried him in the desert. They led officers to the location where the body was buried. They have been referred to the prosecution.