Auckland cabbie Hiren Mohini’s murder suspect nabbed in China

SHANGHAI/ AUCKLAND - Chinese authorities have detained a 23-year-old man wanted in connection with the January 31 murder of Indian-origin taxi driver Hiren Mohini in Auckland.

The man, named in Auckland District Court files as Zhen Xiao, was located and detained by Chinese authorities in Shanghai last week.

The officer in charge of the homicide investigation, Detective Senior Sergeant Hywel Jones, was in China to assist the authorities with evidential matters.

Meanwhile, Auckland City CIB head, Detective Inspector Bruce Shadbolt, said that police were very grateful to the Chinese authorities for their support and cooperation for locating the wanted man.

“Discussions are underway between our officers in China and Chinese authorities regarding the next steps in the investigation,” Stuff.co.nz quoted Detective Inspector Shadbolt, as saying.

Mohini was killed in a frenzied knife attack on January 31, and police believe that his killer was his last passenger, who attacked him to avoid paying a 15.20-dollar fare.

Earlier, certain media reports had claimed that Mohini’s murderer could have fled to China, and that the Auckland Police was in talks with international law enforcement agencies to locate him.

A team of 50 officers have been hunting for Mohini’s killer, taking unprecedented steps such as putting up a billboard of a man filmed getting into the cab.

Police had also released security camera footage of an Asian-looking man captured on CCTV in the CBD before the killing.

He was carrying a bag similar to a distinctive bloodied blue bag found a short distance from where Mohini died. (ANI)