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Shek Pik Prison on Lantau Island. Photo: Nora Tam

Killer of three prostitutes in Hong Kong found hanged in his cell

Nadeem Razaq, who spread terror in city’s sex trade during 2008 murder spree, tied his pullover to cell bars

A man serving a life sentence for killing three prostitutes in their one-woman brothels in 2008 hanged himself in Shek Pik Prison on Lantau on Thursday morning.

Nadeem Razaq, 31, a Hong Kong resident of Pakistani origin, was found hanging with his pullover tied to the bars of his single-person cell at about 6.44am. It is understood he was checked about 20 minutes earlier and everything seemed normal.

He was given first aid before being taken to North Lantau Hospital, where he was declared dead at 8.23am.

Nadeem Razaq on his way to court in 2008. Photo: Martin Chan
The Correctional Services Department reported the case to the police. “A death inquest will be held by the coroner’s court,” the department said in a statement.

Initial investigations found nothing suspicious and officers from Lantau police district would compile a death report for the coroner’s court, a government source with knowledge of the case said.

It is understood Razaq’s parents and son were planning to return to Pakistan. “This may be the cause of suicide,” the source said.

In 2009, Razaq was found guilty by a Court of First Instance jury of three counts of murder, committed during a spree that spread terror through the city’s sex trade for three days in 2008.

Jailing Razaq, who had pleaded not guilty, Madam Justice Clare-Marie Beeson told him: “By your wicked crime, you’ve deprived {the victims} of their lives and destroyed their families.”

He had pleaded not guilty to murdering Sze Ming-lan, 35, Sun Xiumin, 30, and Tse Hau-yuen, 35, in Yuen Long and Tai Po, saying he had been coerced by armed debt collectors who had ordered him to kill eight women. He claimed they had told him to kill three women in Sheung Shui immediately after the initial three but he had escaped.

The three victims were found dead in their flats between March 14 and 16, 2008.

Razaq was identified by forensic evidence he left at the scenes, including a palm print, bloodstains, a used condom and a used straw.

He was arrested in Macau on March 17 in a police trap mounted with the help of his elder brother and was handed to Hong Kong police the next day.

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: Prostitute killer found hanged in prison cell
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