Graduate murder police arrest 17

Published: Friday, 24 October 2008, 7:49AM

Police are continuing to question three men over the killings of two Chinese graduates.

Xi Zhou and her boyfriend, Zhen Xing Yang, both 25, were found hacked to death in their ground-floor flat in Croydon Road, Newcastle, on August 9.

The men, aged 30, 22, and 33, were arrested on suspicion of murder after police raids on addresses in Dilston Road, Newcastle, which adjoins Croydon Road, and Castle Close, Morpeth, Northumberland, on Thursday.

A further 14 people, all Chinese nationals, are being held on suspicion of burglary and immigration offences.

Five men, aged 26, 42, 35 and two aged 31, were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit burglary and two women aged 38 and 28 were arrested on suspicion of immigration offences at that address.

A further four men, aged 27, 30, 25 and 29, were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit burglary in Stanton Street, Newcastle, as well as a woman, aged 31, held on suspicion of immigration offences.

Another woman was arrested in Castle Close on suspicion of assisting an offender.

At an address in Houghton, County Durham, a 49-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender.

Det Supt Steve Wade, leading the investigation, said: "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."

Detectives believe Mr Zhen was tortured for up to an hour before he was hacked and stabbed to death by his killers, who then turned on Wagamama waitress Miss Xi. The couple's cat was also drowned by their killers, police have said.

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