As the hunt for a kidnapped 5-year-old Chinese girl went
into its fourth day, New Zealand police said Thursday that they believed she
was still in the country.
They refused to say whether a ransom note had been received for the return of
Cina Ma (Xin Xin), who was abducted Monday afternoon outside her home in the
affluent suburb of Harrowglen, north of Auckland.
Detective Inspector Steve Wood told Radio New Zealand that police were making
concrete progress in the investigation but declined to comment on speculation
in the local Chinese community about a motive for the kidnapping.
The girl's parents are separated, and there have been reports that they had
argued about her going to Australia, where her paternal grandparents live. But
Wood said both parents were co-operating fully with the inquiry.
Other speculation is that the girl was kidnapped in retaliation for a business
deal that may have gone wrong. Both parents are reportedly
involved in property development in Auckland, dpa
reported.