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FORMER Rangers star Arnold Peralta was murdered over personal problems, police in Hondurus revealed today.

The probe into the 26-year-old midfielder’s shooting last Thursday at a shopping centre in La Ceiba, Honduras, took a dramatic new twist as the country’s Security Minister said investigators had done “80 per cent” of their job and would resolve the horrific crime “within a few days".

Questioned by a TV reporter about ongoing investigations into recent killings in the crime-ridden nation, police chief Hector Ivan Mejia said: “Each case is different.

“The first thing intelligence officers and investigators do is establish the genesis of each case.

“The La Ceiba case was the result of an individual, personal situation.”

Local newspapers leapt on the comments as proof of rumours that have been sweeping Honduras for the past few days pointing to Peralta’s murder being a revenge killing.

Speculation has been rife that it was linked to a secret he was hiding from his family.

Mr Mejia, Director of Honduras’ National Police, declined to reveal more details, sparking a guessing game as to whether the married dad-of-one’s shooting was a crime of passion or the result of another type of conflict.

But he dismissed the suggestion it was linked to organised criminal gangs, insisting: ”This crime has nothing to do with organised crime.

“Arnold Peralta was an athlete, our national pride. The investigations are 80 per cent advanced.

“We are obliged to hand over a conclusive report to the investigating judge who has information on the authors of this crime.”

Honduras’ Justice Minister Julian Pacheco added: “The investigation into the lamentable case of Arnold Peralta is 80 per cent advanced.

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“We have identified people who could have participated and in the next few hours there will be important developments in this case.

“It’s a case we’re going to resolve within a few days.”

Asked at a press conference what was behind the murder, he said: “I don’t want to reveal the reasons but we have very important leads that can lead us to the authors and then we will explain the reasons why this young man died in this criminal act.”

Peralta, who played 25 times for Rangers between 2013 and 2015, was shot repeatedly in the head, chest and back as he arrived at a shopping centre last Thursday afternoon to do some Christmas shopping with his wife Vanessa and a friend.

Vanessa, mum to their four-month-old daughter Camila, revealed the star was shot dead as he returned to his Porsche Cayenne to close a window he had left open.

Five police teams have been working on catching the killer, who is believed to have escaped on a motorbike driven by an accomplice.

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They have been poring over hours of CCTV footage taken from cameras inside the shopping centre car park as well as streets near the crime scene.

Officers have also been sifting through the player's mobile phone records for clues.

Initial reports said detectives were focusing on two theories - a family dispute and and the theory he had refused to cooperate with criminals trying to extort money from him.

Earlier this week local reports said police were following a third line of inquiry based on personal problems that “out of respect for his family” were not revealed.

Speaking at his funeral in the port city of La Ceiba , where Arnold was enjoying time off before an international friendly, grieving mum Celina Sosa said: “Son, you were and will continue to be the most beautiful thing God has given me so happy journey son.

“I thank the Lord for having lent him to me these beautiful 26 years because now I’m only going to live from my memories.”