Aerial photo taken on July 18, 2015 shows Wang Lin's villa in Shenzhen.[Photo/IC]

NANCHANG - Police in East China's Jiangxi province formally arrested self-proclaimed qigong master Wang Lin Thursday for his alleged role in an "illegal detention" case.

The victim, a company president Zou Yong, was kidnapped on July 9 and murdered. Police detained four suspects, including Wang.

Wang and another suspect were arrested on the charge of illegal detention, while the other two were charged with intentional homicide, according to the public security bureau of Pingxiang City.

Wang, who claims to be a master of qigong, a traditional martial art combined with meditation, came to public attention in 2013 when images of his supposed "supernatural powers" were posted on the Internet. These "powers" include conjuring snakes from thin air and posing for pictures with celebrities.

Zou was introduced to Wang in 2002. In a TV interview in 2013, Zou said he had paid 5 million yuan (about 804,000 U.S. dollars) in 2009 to become a disciple of Wang, who asked for nearly 30 million yuan from him thereafter.

Wang has been previously investigated for possession of a gun, unlicensed medical practice, bribery and fraud. Local police and health authorities launched an investigation in 2013 but failed to make any headway due to lack of evidence.

Police are further investigating the latest case.