Women connected to religious sect ‘simply smiled’ during immigration interview after body discovered in Gulf Harbour

Wednesday, 27 May 2026

Shulai Wang’s body was discovered in March 2024.

Who she was and how she ended up dead in Gulf Harbour initially remained a mystery to authorities.

Bags of rice would lead police to a religious sect leader, his wife and his parents who are all jointly charged with Wang’s manslaughter and kidnapping.

All have pleaded not guilty.

When police investigating a homicide arrived at an Auckland home linked to a religious sect, they found five women. It was discovered those women - “potential eye-witnesses” - were unlawfully in New Zealand and were later deported.

The sect’s leader, Kaixiao Liu, along with his wife, Lanyue Xiao, are on trial facing charges of manslaughter and kidnapping in relation to the death of a 70-year-old woman, whose body was found in Gulf Harbour. They are facing trial alongside Liu’s parents, Jingui Liu and Xiuyun Li.

All four have pleaded not guilty and are representing themselves, but have experienced defence counsel on standby to assist.

It was March 12, 2024 when the body of a woman was fished out of the harbour. The body was in black plastic bags and police would later uncover she had been bound by tape and rice bags filled with pebbles had also been taped to weigh her down.

Her identity was initially a mystery to police, but after extensive inquiries, she was named as Shulai Wang, while Liu was tracked down as the purchaser of the rice bags that had been taped to her body.

The Crown’s case is Wang and the five other Chinese women had travelled to New Zealand for Liu’s religious teachings and lived in conditions of “practical servitude” to Liu and his family.

Prosecutors previously told a jury at the High Court at Auckland that in March 2024, Wang attempted to escape “The Ark”, the Orewa home linked to the sect, and had been disobeying “house rules”.

The Crown alleges she was held in a locked tent, physically disciplined and withheld food before she died.

On Wednesday, evidence turned to the five other women who were present at “The Ark” when police conducted a search warrant.

The Crown previously told jurors the five women refused to speak to officers but smiled and clasped their hands in prayer.

All five women were Chinese nationals, having arrived in the country between 2020 and 2023, immigration officer Alexander Ballereau told prosecutor Emma Kerr on Wednesday.

The women were in New Zealand illegally and were deported to China in August 2024.

This was after police informed immigration authorities the women were no longer required as part of their investigation into Wang’s death.

Ballereau told the court, ahead of their deportation, the women were given the opportunity to speak to a lawyer and were assisted by a Mandarin interpreter.

The women said nothing, however Ballereau said three “simply smiled” throughout the immigration interview.

Under cross-examination, Liu suggested to Ballereau that those ladies were “potential eye-witnesses in this criminal investigation”.

“I can’t give an answer if they were critical eye witnesses,” the immigration officer replied.

Mo Zarour was another immigration officer involved in the case.

Liu questioned Zarour about whether the five women could return to New Zealand to give evidence at trial as he said “they want to”.

Justice Downs interrupted Liu and said he could not testify about the state of mind of the women.

Hypothetically speaking, Zarour said the Minister of Immigration could override the prohibited notice, but it would be an answer for the Minister.

“This is for open and justice and for the search of truth,” Liu said. Justice Downs reminded him this was a submission not a question for the witness.

Liu then asked whether the officer believed the five women could return to New Zealand within three weeks to give evidence.

Zarour said he could not answer that question.

The trial before Justice Mathew Downs and a jury continues and is set down for six weeks.