Naheed Khan Investigation Moves to Reactive Phase

Following two years of extensive enquiries into the disappearance of Naheed Khan, the senior officer leading the investigation has said that the team will be scaled back and move from a proactive to reactive investigation.

Detectives have followed thousands of lines of enquiry into Naheed’s murder, appealed in local and national media, and have carried out a number of extensive searches in a bid to try and find her since her disappearance in May 2018.

 Five men were arrested in connection with her disappearance however they were subsequently released without charge.

After determined efforts to find Naheed and bring those responsible for her death to justice, the Force has now taken the difficult decision to reduce the number of people actively working on the case, however Cleveland Police will continue to appeal for information to the public. Now, the murder investigation will be reviewed each year, but the case will remain open and any new information will be reviewed by specialist officers along with advances in technology that would may provide further Lines of Enquiry.  

Senior Investigation Officer, Detective Chief Inspector Mark Dimelow said: “Dedicated Officers have worked tirelessly on this investigation, which has been extremely complex. It’s a difficult decision to scale down this investigation, particularly when we all want to seek a resolution for Naheed’s family.

“We have done everything we can at this stage, but there are people out there who are not being honest and know what has happened to Naheed. I hope that one day they find it within themselves to do the right thing and tell the truth, if not to us, then anonymously through CrimeStoppers. We will act on any new information that is given to us and will continue to appeal for information in the media, as we seek to find Naheed.”

Over the last couple of years, officers have completed Lines of Enquiry including:

Over 5,500 investigative actions by officers

Over 2,600 people spoken to or involved

Over 8,300 statements, reports and documents

Over 1,500 exhibits seized and reviewed

The Force would like to thank members of the public for their support throughout this investigation and would urge anyone who knows anything regarding the disappearance of Naheed to please contact Cleveland Police on 101.

Independent charity Crimestoppers is still offering a reward of up to £10,000 for information that leads to identifying the location of Naheed Khan’s body. They can be contacted anonymously by calling 0800 555 111 or online at www.crimestoppers-uk.org.