Police officers have arrested five people on suspicion of the murder of a taxi driver who was found murdered in his cab in a Nottingham car park back in 1994.
26-year-old Ethsham Ul-Haq Ghafoor,known to his friends and family as Shami, was shot dead in his taxi on Tuesday, November 22, 1994.
He was found by a milkman at 4.30am at Lambley Lane Playing Fields in the Gedling area of the city with his hands tied and bound to the steering wheel.
He had been shot in what has been described by police as “an execution.”
To mark the 30th anniversary of his murder, detectives began reinvestigating the crime and hoped to provide his family with answers.
Crimestoppers, a charity which is independent of the police, has offered a reward of up to £50,000 for information that they exclusively receive that leads to a conviction.
A press conference was held last Friday (22), where the police, Shami’s family, and Crimestoppers appealed to the public for information.
Shami was described as “an outgoing, charming and kind man” who died five months before his baby daughter was born.
On the morning of Wednesday, November 27, five people have been arrested on suspicion of murder in the Sneinton and Bakersfield area.
They are four men, aged 64, 57, 52, 51 and one woman aged 47.
Police said they will have a large presence in the Sneinton and Bakersfield area while investigations continue.
Assistant Chief Constable Rob Griffin said: “Firstly, I would like to thank the community and the media for sharing our appeal for information.
“This was a dreadful crime that has left Shami’s family waiting 30 years for answers.
“Following our appeal, we have received numerous calls from the public.
“I would like to personally thank them for their support.
“Please continue to share our appeal and contact us with any information you may have.
“We know that the answer to Shami’s murder lies within the community, and we would encourage anyone with information, no matter how small, to please continue to get in touch with our officers or through Crimestoppers.
Neighbourhood Inspector Stephen Dalby, who covers the Sneinton and Bakersfield area, said: “I would like to reassure the community who are likely to see an increased police presence in Sneinton and Bakersfield today.
“This is part of our investigation into the murder of Ethsham Ul-Haq Ghafoor.
“Please do not be alarmed. Officers are in the area carrying out a thorough investigation and are likely to be in the area for most of the day.
“There will be reassurance patrols engaging with the community so anyone with any concerns please do talk to one of our officers. They are here to help.
“As always, we would like to thank the public for their patience.”
Detectives are still calling for anyone with information about this crime to please get in touch.
Anyone with information about this crime can call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or call 101 quoting incident number 0300 of the 15th November 2024.