Five arrests made as Norfolk Police launch 'no body' murder investigation
Maris Ile hasn't been seen since November last year
Five people have been arrested on suspicion of murder following the disappearance of a man in King’s Lynn.
The arrests were made simultaneously yesterday morning (Tuesday 11 March 2025) at addresses in King’s Lynn, Norwich and Peterborough.
- A man in his 20s was arrested in Peterborough
- A man in his 30s was arrested in Norwich
- A man in his 40s was arrested in Norwich
- A man in his 50s was arrested in Kings Lynn
- A woman in her 50s was arrested in Kings Lynn
All five suspects have been taken into police custody where they are being questioned.
It follows enquiries into the disappearance of 54-year-old Maris Ile, a Latvian national who was living in King’s Lynn and worked in Ely.
Maris was reported missing on 23 November 2024 and enquiries established he hadn’t been seen or heard from since 20 November 2024. Officers say they have been following numerous enquiries and gathering evidence, which over time has led them to believe Maris has come to harm.
Detective Superintendent Phill Gray, from the Norfolk and Suffolk Major Investigation Team, said: “Maris was a seasonal worker in the UK and had quite a structured life, keeping in regular contact with his family in Latvia.
"No one has seen or heard from Maris since 20 November when he left his address in King’s Lynn to go to work but he never arrived.
“As a result of our enquiries, we believe Maris has come to harm and have therefore taken the unusual step to launch a murder investigation, despite not having found Maris’ body.
“Yesterday we arrested five people in connection with his murder. These suspects will now be questioned by detectives to understand the circumstances of his disappearance.
“Our work has involved some sensitive enquiries, which is why we’re only now publicly confirming the launch of this investigation.”
Norfolk Police say missing person investigations are given one of three ratings (low, medium and high) by the level of risk associated to that person. The force says a lot of factors are taken into account including age and health when deciding risk.
They say the risk level is not fixed and can be reassessed during the investigation when there is new information or when circumstances change, adding that Maris’ case was dealt with as a low and medium risk missing person enquiry.