Taxi killer a danger to all, says head of investigation

Detective Senior Sergeant Hywel Jones says his 40-strong team will work around the clock to solve this murder. Photo / Sarah Ivey

The man who killed taxi driver Hiren Mohini is "cold, callous and brutal" and could strike again.

Yesterday the officer heading the 40-plus investigation team stressed how dangerous he was and called for any information that would bring him in.

"He is a potential danger to anyone he comes in contact with," Detective Senior Sergeant Hywel Jones told the Weekend Herald.

Two weeks after the "vicious" and "frenzied" attack that left Mr Mohini, 39, slumped over his cab wheel with multiple stab wounds, his attacker runs free.

With no apparent motive or evidence of a robbery, Mr Jones said drugs may have fuelled the attack.

Mr Mohini's family wanted him caught - for some form of closure - and somebody must know where he was, Mr Jones said.

"He is obviously staying with somebody, living with somebody, who goes to work or goes to college," he said.

"We are now on day 13 of the investigation so everything is out there and he hasn't come forward, nobody has come forward, so that indicates this is only going to be solved by hard detective work."

A CCTV-captured image of a man seen getting into Mr Mohini's cab eight minutes before he took his final fare is plastered on a billboard in downtown Fort St.

It shows him carrying a bag similar to the blood-stained, royal blue shoulder bag with a distinctive white logo found near View Rd in Mt Eden where Mr Mohini was killed.

The investigation into Mr Mohini's death was the feature story on TV2 show Police 10/7 this week.

Mr Jones, who has 20 years of policing experience in the UK and NZ, said "whodunnit" murder investigations could take weeks, months or even years to solve.

He hoped that wasn't the case, but said his team would work around the clock to bring him in.

With no motive and no particular area to canvas - as it was a private pick-up there is no record of the taxi's destination - it came down to attention to detail and exhausting all avenues.

"Dozens and dozens and dozens" of inquiries were being made and "boxed off", Mr Jones said.

Hospitals and medical centres had been canvassed, as the attacker may have been injured in the knife struggle and customs staff had been given CCTV footage.

"We are working hard to find him and eventually we are going to come across something that leads to him," Mr Jones said.

Speaking directly to the killer, he said: "If you stay hiding you will only have to keep worrying about when we will come knocking."

Mr Jones, who left the West Mercia Police four years ago, has worked on countless murder investigations.

He emigrated with his wife and three children to New Zealand for a better, safer lifestyle. Mr Jones confessed to being personally affected by the murder.

"It's hard not to," Mr Jones said.

"Especially when everybody described him as a gentle giant and you go to the funeral and see his young children."

He said police would continue to trawl CCTV footage, with 400 hours already viewed, as that might hold the key.

"It's a long, tedious, painstaking process but as you can see from this investigation it is quite often key," he said.

Mr Jones said police would use Chinese New Year celebrations this weekend to appeal to Asian communities for information.

Anyone with information about the killing of Hiren Mohini is urged to call 0800 444014 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111, or email edgewater@police.govt.nz