A search is underway in South Australia's mid-north for the body of one of three men thought to have been murdered over their links to the drug trade in Adelaide's southern suburbs.
Police say they're searching in an area between Orrorroo and Peterborough for the remains of Robert Atkins who went missing in November 2020.
They believe the 29-year-old was held and tortured for up to a week before being forced to commit crimes for his captors.
Its believed he was then murdered near Port Pirie with his body left near Orroroo although it has still not been found.
Late last year police established a special task force to look into his suspected murder along with the deaths of Trevor King and Jeff Mundy.
Mr King, 41, was found dead at suburban West Lakes in January 2020 with police now believing his death was staged to look like a suicide.
Police say in the months before his death, he was the victim of unlawful detention and serious assaults, resulting from a drug debt.
The debt was initially $1000 but increased to $10,000 and then $50,000 when he failed to pay.
Mr Mundy, 36, was last seen in December 2020. His body has not been found, with police suspecting it was disposed of somewhere on SA's Fleurieu Peninsula.
Up to 15 people are believed to have been involved in the suspected murders and detectives are also checking another 200 overdose deaths since 2019 to determine if any more are suspicious.
