A shop worker who went missing five years ago has walked into a police station days after officers said they believed he was dead and arrested five people on suspicion of his murder.
West Yorkshire police said Ismail Ali turned up on Wednesday reporting to be “safe and well”.
Ali went missing in 2020 and this week officers said they had arrested three women and two men on suspicion of his murder. They said they suspected Ali was “no longer alive” and may have been murdered.
But on Thursday, the force said in a statement: “Detectives investigating the suspicious disappearance of Bradford man Ismail Ali in 2020 can confirm that he turned up at a police station yesterday reporting to be safe and well. Officers are working to understand the full circumstances surrounding his disappearance.”
The statement added: “Mr Ali’s family have been notified that he has been found safe and well and is being safeguarded whilst necessary checks are being made.”
The force said house searches were carried out at three properties after Monday’s arrests and a large amount of cash was seized.
It said a number of those arrested remained on bail for suspected money laundering offences and inquiries were ongoing.
The statement added: “Officers would like to thank members of the public who shared the appeal for Mr Ali.”
According to reports in 2020, Ali, then 46, was last seen in the shop he worked at in the Lidget Green area of Bradford on Friday 29 May. He was wearing a red hooded top, black trousers and dark footwear.
His disappearance has featured in a number of appeals over the last five years, with police saying his family were concerned for his welfare.