Chinese police alerted over suitcase murder

Police want to speak to these four women captured on a security camera near the scene of the killing on Good Friday.

Chinese border police have been alerted as New Zealand police hunt other people involved in the murder of a Chinese student.

The body of Chinese teenager Wan Biao, 19, was stuffed into a suitcase which was then thrown into Auckland's Waitemata Harbour on Good Friday morning.

It was found a few hours after a ransom demand for $NZ800,000 was made to his parents in China. None of the money was paid.

Three Chinese men have been charged in connection with the death, one with kidnapping and murder, one with being an accessory after the fact of murder and one with being an accessory and kidnapping.

Two men, both aged 21, appeared in Auckland District Court yesterday and the third, aged 20, appeared today. All were remanded in custody for a pre-depositions hearing on June 28 and all three had their names suppressed.

After the third man appeared in court today police said their inquiries were not over.

"It goes with the territory the arrests are the start of another phase,'' Detective Inspector Bernie Hollewand said.

Police wanted to interview other people, who could be charged, he said.

Police knew their identities and an alert had been sent to all the New Zealand borders to make sure they did not flee the country.

Mr Hollewand would not say how many more were being sought. He said the Chinese authorities had also been told other people were being hunted.

"Proper Chinese authorities are aware of the direction of our inquiries. That is all I am going to say.''

Mr Hollewand said members of Mr Wan's family were preparing to travel to New Zealand to claim the body and probably take it back to China but he said they had yet to apply for visas.

A decision on when to release the body would be made by the Auckland coroner, he said.

"With a further person charged today, the coroner will need to be satisfied independent pathology isn't required so probably not today.''

Mr Hollewand said the inquiry had moved very quickly and much of the material had to be consolidated.

Mr Wan and one of the men charged were students at the same English language school in Auckland. The three men charged all flatted together.

The three were all from the Sichuan province and two knew each other before they came to New Zealand.

- NZPA