Zhou Yu, a former detective in the economic crime investigation department of the Yuzhong public security bureau, was found dead in a hotel in the department's jurisdiction on April 4, the day before Tomb Sweeping Day, the bureau said in a statement released on its micro blog late on Monday.

Zhou's body was cremated on Monday.

The statement said an on-site investigation determined that Zhou committed suicide.

"Zhou had suffered from diabetes for years. He took insulin and suffered from many complications, including heart disease," the statement said. "He recently had been diagnosed with severe cirrhosis of the liver. Zhou was in a gloomy mood and expressed a pessimistic attitude to his co-workers."

Further details have not been released.

During Zhou's career, he brought down Peng Zhimin, a high-profile real estate businessman in the city and stockholder of a Hilton hotel in Chongqing.

Peng was sentenced to life imprisonment for gang-related crimes in 2010 during the first trial. The second trial in 2011 upheld the verdict.

Zhou was the deputy director of the anti-gang crime team in 2009 and named an anti-crime hero in 2010.

Contact the writers at luowangshu@chinadaily.com.cn and tanyingzi@chinadaily.com.cn.