By Stephanie Gardiner and Nick Ralston
A man has appeared in court over the high-profile 2009 killings of five members of the Lin family in their Sydney home.
Detectives arrested 47-year-old Robert Xie at a home in North Epping at 9am today.
Min Lin and his 43-year-old wife Yun Li "Lillie" Lin.
He was taken to Parramatta police station and charged with five counts of murder.
Mr Xie did not appear during a briefing hearing at Parramatta Local Court today.
He did not apply for bail through his lawyer and it was formally refused by the magistrate.
Police found the bodies of Mr Xie's brother-in-law Min Lin, 45, and Mr Lin's wife Yun Li "Lillie" Lin, 43, their sons aged 12 and 9, and the woman's 39-year-old sister bashed to death in their beds in the home in Boundary Street, North Epping, on July 18, 2009.
The killings of the family, who ran a local newsagency, shocked the community and attracted about 1000 mourners to their funeral in August 2009.
Police will allege Mr Xie was motivated by greed and jealousy.
"To do something like this is a ... primeval act," Detective Superintendent Peter Cotter said.
He said such an act could only be motivated by greed and jealousy.
"And in modern day terms, I think that equates to money."
Police believe Mr Xie acted alone.
To do something like this is a ... prime evil act
"We are very confident this person acted alone."
Detective Superintendent Cotter said the remaining member of the immediate family was "surprised" by the man's arrest today and added her safety was paramount to investigators and that she was currently away with other members of her family.
He said the girl had been living with the man before his arrest and that, while they did hold concerns for her welfare, her safety was always put ahead of the investigation.
Mr Xie was "quite stoic" and was surprised to see police arrive at his house, but he did not resist arrest.
His wife was not at home at the time, but has since been told of the police investigation.
Detective Superintendent Cotter said the 22-month investigation involved hundreds of witness statements as well as inquiries made interstate and in China.
He said the police case against the man would rely heavily on circumstantial evidence as well as physical evidence obtained both from the house where the family were killed and the man's house nearby.
No murder weapon has been recovered at this stage.
Mr Xie has long been a suspect of police.
Detective Superintendent Cotter said it was one of the largest single homicides in NSW history.
"The investigators have never given up, and today is testimony to their dedication, and the culmination of two years of intense investigation," Superintendent Cotter said in a statement.
The case will next be heard at Central Local Court on July 1.
- with AAP