MOSCOW, January 19 (Itar-Tass) — Chairman of the Investigative Committee /SK/ Alexander Bastrykin ordered to step up the probe into the criminal case over two missing children in the Amur region, who disappeared in December 2011, SK spokesman Vladimir Markin told Itar-Tass.
"To provide practical assistance in the search, experienced forensic experts of the SK's central office went to the Amur region. The SK chief ordered the director of the SK department for the Amur region to personally supervise the search," Markin said.
Two boys, aged 12 and 10, disappeared in the town of Svobodny, Amur region, on December 19. They left their homes and were not seen again. Criminal proceedings were opened under Criminal Code Article 105, Part 2 /"murder of two underage children"/.
A large-scale search was mounted to find the missing children. It involved personnel of the regional police departments, the Emergency Situations Ministry, public utilities workers, specialists with sniffer dogs, volunteers and SK investigators and forensic experts.
"The search parties checked 577 sewers, 38 boiler houses and heat supply lines, gullies and adjacent territories, cellars and attics in 129 residential buildings, and 788 private houses. Police issued 1,500 notices for the missing children, and such notices go on the air on local radio and television every day, the SK spokesman said.
It was ascertained that on several occasions, the elder of the two missing children had not turned up at home to stay overnight before. "The investigator considers all possible versions of the boys' disappearance," Markin said.