A taxi driver suspected of killing five prostitutes who plied their trade in luxury hotels was detained yesterday by police, Beijing Star Daily reports.

Li Ping, 41, is suspected of at least five killings from December last year, the latest victim being a young woman from Southwest China's Sichuan Province, said the police.

Her body parts were found to be chopped up and buried in a ditch in the northwestern outskirts of the city, said the newspaper.

The murder of prostitutes was because of his jealousy over their "easy" earnings, according to Li, who was not content with his monthly income of 2,000 yuan (US$241).

Li's wife is alleged to have helped her husband while the cold-blooded man murdered and dismembered the women.

Close