Detectives hunting a Chinese businessman over the murder of a family of four have increased a reward for information leading to the prime suspect’s arrest.
Police are now offering £25,000 to anyone who helps them track down Anxiang Du. The 53-year-old is wanted in connection with the deaths of university lecturer Jifeng “Jeff” Ding, his wife Helen Chui and their two daughters Alice, 12, and Xing, 18.
The family were found stabbed to death at their home in Wootton, Northampton on May 1 last year. Du, from Coventry in the West Midlands, was declared the only suspect soon after the discovery of the murders.
Detective Chief Inspector Tom Davies said a national manhunt was continuing, but the search for Du – who has not been seen since the day of the murders – had spread internationally with the help of Interpol and the Serious Organised Crime Agency (Soca).
Mr Davies said: “I strongly believe that Mr Du is still alive and is being assisted by associates or friends.
“I accept he may have left the UK fairly soon after the murders and we’re working with Soca, Interpol, and other law enforcement agencies to ensure that the appropriate measures are in place to identify and alert the police should he attempt to travel across borders.”
Mr Davies said the Ding family had been in the UK since the late 1990s. Mr Ding worked as a lecturer at Manchester University and his wife worked locally at a school in Northampton.
Since around 2002 Mr and Mrs Ding had been involved in a civil dispute with a Chinese family over a business issue.
To date there has not been one confirmed sighting of Du, who is a qualified doctor of Chinese medicine and speaks English and Mandarin, anywhere in the world.
Recent developments in the case saw the arrest of four people last week, on suspicion of conspiracy to assist an offender. They were all released on bail pending further inquiries.
I have to accept Anxiang Du may have left the UK. Tom Davies
Mr Davies said: “We have recently made a series of arrests in respect of the investigation. For operational reasons I cannot comment any more on those arrests.
“What I can say is that we will continue to work tirelessly to locate and arrest Anxiang Du.”
He added: “I have to accept Anxiang Du may have left the UK. Someone must have assisted him and is likely to still be assisting him or aware of where he is.”
On March 25, three officers travelled to China to speak to associates of the suspect for any information they may have in identifying people who could have assisted him in his escape.