Quiet diplomacy in extradition of murder suspect Du Anxiang

The international hunt for suspected killer Du Anxiang has already cost more than £1 million (HK$11.6 million), but it has taken more than money to bring him back to Britain to face justice.

When British detectives escorted the alleged killer onto a flight from Casablanca to Heathrow last Wednesday, it was the culmination of a two-year manhunt.

Northamptonshire police said the extradition had been approved by the Moroccan Ministry of Justice in conjunction with the British Home Office.

But in truth, it was a triumph of eight months of behind-the-scenes diplomacy involving politicians and police forces working closely together.

The lack of an extradition agreement between the two countries ensured that despite "getting their man", there was no guarantee Du would ever face a trial in Britain.

In the 17 years before his arrest, only two people had been extradited from Morocco to Britain. The last was in 2009, a man wanted in connection with a £53 million heist in Kent.

As the murders slipped off the front pages, Du laid low thousands of kilometres away in Africa. But all that changed after police arrested him in July.