Chinese woman found dead in Belfast

PSNI detectives investigating the brutal murder of a young Chinese woman in north Belfast on Wednesday night or early yesterday morning have appealed to the local Chinese community to help identify the woman.

Two Chinese men were arrested after the woman's body was found in the boot of a Ford Escort car at a petrol station in north Belfast before 2 a.m. yesterday morning.

Local reports said the woman's body may have been badly mutilated, although the police would not confirm this. It was also reported that the woman's killers may have been planning to burn her body as a can of petrol is understood to have been found in the car.

Police said the woman was in her early 20s, was 5ft 4in, slim, with dark shoulder-length hair, parted in the middle, and that she had a small birthmark above her knee. They said they were keeping an "open mind" on the motive for the killing although they did not believe it was sectarian or to have involved paramilitaries.

A post-mortem was carried out last night to try to determine how the woman died. The woman's body was located after police were informed about suspicious activity in the Skegoniel area of north Belfast. The car in which the body was found was taken to Antrim Road PSNI station where it is undergoing forensic tests.

A house in the Skegoniel area where two Chinese women lived was cordoned off yesterday as police tried to establish if the murdered woman lived there. Locals said the women had only recently moved into the house, and that they knew little about them.

Local political sources said that there had been concern recently in the Chinese community about Triad gangs being involved in extortion and other forms of criminality. They said they were told by some Chinese welfare representatives that vulnerable people were reluctant to take their fears to the police.

Ms Anna Lo, head of the Chinese Welfare Association in Northern Ireland, could not be contacted by The Irish Times last night but she told the Press Association that police warned of a Triad threat on Friday night.

"They said they believed a gang of Triads was coming over from London via Dublin to carry out a kidnapping and ransom demand. We don't know whether this is connected but we have sent out a letter to the Chinese community with this information," she said.

"Obviously we are absolutely shocked by this terrible event," said Ms Lo. "If people feel for whatever reason they don't want to contact the police directly, they can come to us and we will act on their behalf."

The DUP MP for North Belfast, Mr Nigel Dodds, said people were shocked at the killing and urged anyone with information to contact the PSNI. "Yet again we have seen a terrible crime visited upon another family in north Belfast. This is an appalling incident and I hope the perpetrators will be brought to justice," he said.

The local SDLP Assembly member, Mr Alban Maginness, said news of the brutal murder sent shock waves throughout the whole community. "There is no place in the North for violence of this nature, yet there seems to be an endless string of brutal murders. No one has the right to take the law into their own hands. Those who have taken any act or part in this murder must be severely punished," he said.