The family is not connected to the deaths of the children, and they are understandably distressed, police said. The children - likely to have been between ages 5 and 10 - may have been dead for a number of years, perhaps three or four, Detective Inspector Tofilau Faamanuia Vaaelua said at a news conference on Thursday.
Vaaelua said a postmortem examination will be conducted to determine the children's identity. Investigators are looking for clues as to how, when and where the children died.
Vaaelua said the police were working with Interpol and have opened inquiries with overseas agencies, but initial inquiries suggest relatives of the victims are in New Zealand. I feel for the victims or the family of these victims. Right now, there are relatives out there that aren't aware that their loved ones have died, he added. He said that the case was extremely upsetting for the community to hear. The police attempt to view closed-circuit television footage that may offer some clues, but they acknowledge that it may be hard to obtain because of the significant amount of time that has passed. The storage company is assisting police with their inquiries, and other household and personal items sold from the storage facility are being examined to establish a link to the suitcases, police said.