Naheed Khan (43) from Thornaby, Teesside, disappeared over the 2018 May Bank Holiday weekend, last accessing her bank account on Sunday 6 May.
Police launched a murder investigation and have made five arrests but no-one has been charged.
Summary
Naheed went missing around the 5th to 7th May 2018, and money was withdrawn from her bank account at an ATM machine at the junction of Marton Road and Southfield Road in Middlesbrough at 5.04pm on Sunday May 6. It is not known whether any CCTV was obtained from the area. As the cashpoint is next to a taxi company, it's likely police have asked for CCTV from their vehicles - though this is not confirmed.
The police confirmed in a statement that Naheed’s last known movements were over early May bank holiday in central Middlesbrough, around the university, Linthorpe Road and Newport.
Naheed had links to Stockton, Middlesbrough and Thornaby and she is described as Asian, of slim build and around 5ft 6” tall, with long, dark hair.
The Investigation
Naheed was reported missing to police on June 12th 2018. At a press conference, on January 28th 2019, the senior officer leading the case announced the case was being treated as suspected murder.
On 15 March 2019, the search for Naheed focused on a disused underground carpark on Marton Road in Middlesbrough.
Months later, on 4 November 2019, police released images of light blue Ford Focus they wanted more information on. Police believe Ms Khan may have travelled in the vehicle at the end of April to early May 2018.
As of March 2020 Five men had been arrested in connection with Naheed's disappearance however they were subsequently released without charge.
Cleveland Police said that while the investigation remained open it would be moved to a "reactive phase", meaning a reduction in the number of people working on the case. It will be reviewed each year.
Officers have seized and reviewed over 1,500 exhibits and have worked with more than 8,300 statements, reports and documents. Despite searches of a number of areas, Ms Khan's body has not been found. Det Ch Insp Mark Dimelow, described the investigation as "extremely complex" and it was a "difficult decision" to scale back the operation. He said: "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.'
Family Statement:
Naheed’s sister on behalf of the family, said:
“There isn’t a day that goes by where we don’t think about where Naheed is or what has happened to her, the time that has passed hasn’t made this any easier.
“Naheed is not forgotten and every occasion and milestone that passes she is missed dearly. We just want her body to be buried respectfully like she deserves.
“We are begging with all of our hearts for someone to come forward anonymously and give us some closure so we can try and live with some peace of mind that we know where she is.”
Anyone with information is asked to call Cleveland Police on the non-emergency number 101. Alternatively, people can visit mipp.police.uk and provide information direct to the investigation team. Independent charity Crimestoppers is offering a reward of up to £10,000 for information that leads to identifying the location of Naheed Khan’s body.