Man arrested in Ipswich over South Australia murder allegations

The body of a 46-year-old man was found at an address in Para Vista, about 20 kilometres north-east of Adelaide, on October 12

Queensland's homicide squad and a special emergency response team squad arrested his alleged killer, from Murray Bridge, South Australia, at an Ipswich motel on Friday without incident.

He appeared in court in Ipswich later that day, when SA Police sought his extradition to Adelaide on Saturday to face an eventual charge of murder.

The arrest came after South Australian police investigations, including raids on Friday, led police to believe a criminal group based in Murray Bridge, SA, may have been involved.

SA police were called to an address in Carousel Street about 1pm on October 12 to check on the welfare of a man at the Para Vista address when they found the 46-year-old dead at the scene.

Also found was the remains of a cannabis crop that had been stolen, police alleged.

The victim, who was not an Australian citizen and had been living in the Para Vista home, was allegedly killed some time between midnight and 1am on October 9, three days before his body was found.

Police said it would be alleged about seven men, believed to be part of the criminal group, were seen moving cannabis plants from the victim's car into a white commodore and another dark-coloured car.

The victim's car had allegedly been taken and was found in a nearby street.

Detective Superintendent Des Bray, officer-in-charge of the SA Police major crime investigation branch, said South Australian police had travelled to Queensland as part of the investigation.

"This morning members of the Queensland police homicide squad and the special emergency response team arrested the suspect without incident," he said.

Detective Superintendent Bray said the investigation was continuing and further arrests were likely.

Following the arrest of the Murray Bridge man in Ipswich, SA police searched addresses in the suburbs of Murray Bridge and Elizabeth in South Australia.

SA Police major crime investigation branch Inspector Billy Thompson refused to comment on the victim's injuries but said the 35-year-old appeared to be a victim of a "significant assault".

“From our investigations, it is clear that the property was being used as a cannabis grow house," he said.

"There was one room that was set up hydroponically and that contained a number of seedlings and the other room was also set up hydroponically with more mature plants.

"Those plants had been removed from the premises.

"We know that the drugs were loaded into the victim’s car ... and that was taken to another location."

Inspector Thompson said the house appeared to have been targeted because there was cannabis on the property.

"People that who do things like this are motivated by their desire to obtain the drugs from another person and they use violence obviously to incapacitate the person," he said.

"And that’s what’s happened in this case and that’s concerning."

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers South Australia on 1800 333 000.