DETECTIVES probing the murder of Blackburn businessman Mohammed "Tony" Karem and his wife Bilquis have arrested another three people.

Two youths, aged 16 and 18, and a woman, 17, were held after swoops on addresses in the Blackburn area last night.

Police also revealed today that the two people they have been questioning over the last two days in connection with the murders were also Blackburn teenagers.

The 18-year-old man and 19-year-old woman were arrested by murder squad detectives at Manchester Airport at around 10pm on Wednesday.

The man was arrested on suspicion of murder and the woman on suspicion of handling stolen goods.

Police went to Chorley magistrates last night and were granted permission to hold the man over the weekend.

The woman was released early today and has not been charged with any offences.

A major investigation was launched after the bodies Mr Karim, 52, and has 48-year-old wife, of Whalley Old Road, Little Harwood, were found in their Preston jeweller's shop eight days ago.

The couple were stabbed to death and £30,000 of jewellery was been taken from their shop in Church Street.

The couple's sons Shabir and Shafiq raised the alarm after discovering the bodies in a room at the back of the shop.

Houses in Shadsworth and Whitebirk were raided earlier this week and jewellery was seized.

Police say they are continuing to make further inquiries and were appealing for witnesses to come forward yesterday.

Officers were handing leaflets out to members of the public outside the shop yesterday exactly a week after the murders.

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