Estate agent vanishes taking man to house viewing in Suzy Lamplugh-style mystery as cops hunt car & search lake

POLICE have launched an urgent hunt for an estate agent who vanished while showing a man around a home. Yanfei Bao, 44, disappeared on July 19 shortly after she was scheduled to meet a client at a property in Hornby, New Zealand. police.govt.nzCops have launched a desperate hunt for estate agent Yanfei Bao[/caption] police.govt.nzThe 44-year-old’s car had mysteriously moved streets on the day she disappeared[/caption] She was last seen in the suburbs where she was trying to sell the home of a couple who have relocated to Australia. The owners – who wished to remain anonymous – said they were “shocked and stunned” by the realtor’s mysterious disappearance. Their home of nearly 40 years has now become a crime scene, with cops describing it as an area of “significant interest”. The pad, which the couple say is due to undergo forensic examination, has become the focal point of the investigation. Yanfei was set to show someone around the place on Wednesday – the morning she vanished – according to the couple. The Christchurch realtor is feared to have been abducted from the property, although cops are now treating it as a murder inquiry. Residents have been warned to expect an increased police presence in the coming days as the quest for answers continues. Disturbingly, an open house was held at the property days after Yanfei had been reported missing. An auction for the pad that was scheduled for Wednesday has now been postponed as cops continue to probe the scene. The owners said: “We just hope everything turns out all right.” An extensive search across Hornby remains underway, with authorities scouring the area both on foot and in helicopters. Teams have been focusing on the nearby Halswell River area around Lake Ellesmere at Greenpark in the hunt for clues. Dive squads have been using sonar technology to continue the search underwater, police said. The case has the same eerie hallmarks as that of missing Brit Suzy Lamplugh, who disappeared while showing a flat in London in 1986. Locals are holding out hope that Yanfei will still be found alive, despite police upgrading it to a murder investigation. Detective Inspector Nicola Reeves said the contents of the property was “certainly one of the contributing factors” to that decision. Yanfei’s family, based in China, said her mother collapsed and has been “crying since” hearing the news. A 52-year-old man was arrested at Christchurch International Airport on Saturday on suspicion of kidnap. The suspect, who had only been in New Zealand for a few months, was trying to board a one-way flight to China without any luggage. Police charged him with taking Yanfei without her consent and with intent to keep her confined. After appearing in court, a judge allowed for his name to remain anonymous on a temporary basis as he was remanded into custody. Officials instead directed the public to focus on possible sightings of both the suspect’s and the estate agent’s vehicles. The man was driving a silver Mitsubishi sedan with a DPH101 number plate and a distinctive yellow diamond sticker with a black kiwi on the boot. The force refused to say whether there was any evidence that Yanfei had been in the vehicle, but forensic tests are underway. Detectives are also working to determine how the missing realtor’s car was moved to a different street on the day of her disappearance. Police reassured locals they are throwing all their resources at the case and want to “bring her home safe and well.” In one of the UK’s most notorious cold cases, estate agent Suzy Lamplugh, 25, vanished in Fulham in July 1986. She was due to show a “Mr Kipper” around an aparment on Shorrolds Road, but was never seen again. Witnesses had seen her with an “extremely smart” bloke with dark, swept back hair aged between 25-30 and wearing a dark suit. Suzy was officially pronounced dead and presumed murdered 30 years ago this month – but there are now hopes new technology could reveal fresh answers. Scotland Yard named convicted murderer, rapist and abductor John Cannan as the prime suspect in her disappearance in 2002. Brit Suzy Lamplugh disappeared in 1986 after showing a man around an apartmentRex