A man has been charged over the murder of international student Mengmei Leng, 25, whose naked body was recovered from inside a blowhole on the New South Wales Central Coast last Sunday.

The 27-year-old man, confirmed by police to be Ms Leng’s uncle, was arrested yesterday and charged with murder late last night.

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Ms Leng, a former student from China, was first reported missing, before her body was recovered Sunday at Snapper Point at the Munmorah State Conservation Area.

Police earlier said Ms Leng, who was also known as Michelle, had been stabbed and they believed her body was dumped at the blowhole.

“When the body was recovered from the water there [were] a number of injuries indicative of Michelle suffering a very violent attack,” said Detective Inspector Gary Jubelin.

Ms Leng’s body was recovered last Sunday at Snapper Point. NSW Police

Inspector Jubelin said police had informed members of Ms Leng’s family, living both in Australia and overseas, of the news.

“We spoke to Michelle’s aunty who she lives with, then I spoke to Michelle’s brother by phone who she lives with in China,” he said.

“It’s terrible news to deliver and you can understand how upset they were.”

Earlier, police released CCTV images of Ms Leng shopping in Pitt Street in Sydney’s CBD about 3pm last Thursday.

The vision also showed her later catching a train from St James Railway Station to Campsie Railway Station where she arrived around 4:30pm.

Inspector Jubelin said that Campsie Railway Station was the last place that Ms Leng was seen alive.

Ms Leng had completed a business degree at the University of Technology Sydney and was studying at the Sydney Institute of Interpreting and Translation.

The man accused of her murder will face court later today.