SA: Police begin search for likely murder victim
ADELAIDE, Aug 28 AAP - Police today began searching an Adelaide house for the bodyof a Vietnamese man linked to a $6.3 million bank fraud.
Detectives suspect Quyen Tu Au, 36, is dead with no sightings of him since August 15, 2000.
Today they removed floorboards at a suburban Kilburn property and began excavationwork, looking for his remains.
They also brought in special electronic equipment and a sniffer dog.
Au was thought to be a key player in the fraud three years ago which involved the useof a Bank of East Asia credit card to remove cash through National Australia Bank automaticteller machines.
Of the $6.3 million taken more than $4 million was recovered.
Two people were also arrested with one person still serving time.
Detective Inspector John Venditto said it could be that Au was alive but lying low,but police believed he had met with foul play.
"As a result of information that's come to light during the major crime investigationa reasonable inference can be drawn that Mr Au may have been murdered," Inspector Vendittosaid.
"But having said that there's an inference that he's been murdered, his disappearance,in all the circumstances, is also consistent with lying low, particularly when we stillhave a large amount of money outstanding.
"And of course we'd be very pleased to solve a missing persons inquiry, if Mr Au wasto walk through the door, rather than a murder investigation.
"So the inference is there that he's been murdered but we certainly don't exclude thathe's alive."
Inspector Venditto said it was not for him to speculate on the motive behind Au's likely murder.
"But you'd have to agree that there's a pretty good one there if you've got $2 millionmissing," he said.
Yesterday police involved in the fraud investigation also raided a house at suburbanWingfield and arrested a 33-year-old man.
He was charged him with receiving stolen property, money laundering and other offencesand was granted police bail to appear in court in October.
AAP tjd/ldj/jlw
KEYWORD: AU
No comments:
Post a Comment