The bodies had probably been kept for several years and the victims would be between five and ten years old.
The remains of two primary school-aged children were found in suitcases bought at auction at a warehouse in Auckland, New Zealand police confirmed on Thursday.
According to Inspector Tofilau Faamanuia Vaaelua, the bodies had probably been kept for several years. The victims are said to be between five and ten years old. The bodies lay in two suitcases of identical size, he said.
“The nature of the discovery makes the investigation complex, due in particular to the time elapsed between death and discovery,” he added.
Buyers out of the question
It took, for this macabre discovery, that a family buys a trailer loaded with objects sold in bulk in a warehouse. The family in question are not linked to the death, but are “understandably upset by the discovery” and have asked for their privacy to be respected, the inspector insisted.
The police, who also called on Interpol, are looking at the other objects, household or personal, contained in the trailer to identify the victims. The warehouse and the property where the suitcases were taken were thoroughly examined by the scientific police.
“We are doing our best to identify the victims”
The children have not been identified, but Tofilau Faamanuia Vaaelua expressed sympathy for their family, who are thought to be in New Zealand and who may not have known they were dead.
“A lot of us [dans la police] we are relatives. We have a job to do and we are doing our best to identify the victims,” he told a press conference.
He also assured that the investigations are progressing thanks to DNA analysis: “The investigation team is working very hard to hold the person or persons responsible for the death of these children to account.”