17 Chinese arrested in Newcastle student murder inquiry

Oct 24 2008 by Paul James, The Journal

SEVENTEEN Chinese nationals were being held by detectives last night in connection with the brutal murder of two graduates in Newcastle.

Three of the men arrested in raids yesterday morning were being questioned in Byker police station on suspicion of the murders of Xi Zhou and her boyfriend Zhen Xing Yang in August.

Officers swooped on two addresses near to the couple’s flat in Croydon Road, Fenham, as well as homes in Morpeth, Northumberland and in Bournmoor, near Houghton-le-Spring on Wearside.

The remaining arrests, made during the pre-planned raids, were for assisting an offender, conspiracy to commit burglary and immigration offences.

Forensic teams remained at the addresses throughout yesterday as police informed the couple’s families of the latest development in the case – 11 weeks after their children were last seen alive.

Two of the murder suspects, men aged 30 and 32, were arrested at a terraced home that is up for sale in Castle Close, Morpeth, near Carlisle Park, where a Chinese woman was also arrested for assisting an offender.

The other murder suspect, a 33-year-old, was arrested at Dilston Road, just yards from the murder scene. Five men, aged 26, 42, 35 and two aged 31, were arrested at the address for conspiracy to commit burglary along with two women, 38 and 28, for immigration offences.

In Stanton Street, also close to the couple’s Croydon Road home, four men aged 27, 30, 25 and 29 were arrested for conspiracy to commit burglary and a 31-year-old woman was arrested for immigration offences.

The final arrest was made at a house in Castlemain Close, Bournmoor, where a 49-year-old man was held for assisting an offender.

Last night, Det Supt Steve Wade, who is leading the investigation, said: “As a result of ongoing investigations, officers from Northumbria Police Major Incident Team together with specialist search officers and scenes of crime officers executed search warrants at addresses in Northumbria and Durham.

“As a result a series of arrests have been made in connection with the murder investigation. Searches at the addresses are currently being carried out and those arrested are being questioned throughout today.

“It is early stages and we have a lot of work to do, but this is a positive development.

“Both families have been informed of these developments."

It is thought that the arrests are linked to organised Chinese gangs that are known to have targeted vulnerable Chinese students across the UK, including the North East, in a series of aggravated burglaries.

One police theory had been that the couple were targeted after posting internet adverts for a room to rent in their flat.

Their bodies were found on August 9, but it is believed they were killed two days earlier when Miss Zhou, known as Ci Ci, was last seen having left work at the Wagamama restaurant in Newcastle.

Their cat was found drowned in their bathroom and Mr Yang, known as Kevin, has been attacked for up to an hour before he was killed.

Police had earlier appealed for help identifying three men seen outside the murder-scene flat on that Thursday afternoon.

It is understood the main suspect in the murder probe had been living in Dilston Road, but was arrested at the home he had moved to in Morpeth.