Police announced Wednesday that the human remains found in suitcases in an abandoned storage unit were those of two young children.

An Auckland family bought the contents of the storage unit earlier this month and were shocked to find the remains inside the suitcases, as CrimeOnline previously reported.

Auckland, New Zealand, Detective Inspector Tofilau Faamanuia Vaaelua said a post-mortem report determined the children were between the ages of 5 and 10 and appeared to have been dead for several years before they were found, according to the New Zealand Herald.

“What I can say is we are making very good progress with DNA inquiries,” Vaaelua said.

“We are doing our very best to conclude the inquiry and figure out what happened to these young children. This is no easy investigation.”

Vaaelua said that relatives of the victims are in New Zealand but that investigators are working with Interpol internationally as well.

The family who bought the contents of the storage unit at an online auction found the remains as they were going through their purchase. Police said they “are not involved in the incident.”

Neighbors said they saw several children’s items in the trailer that brought the suitcases to the home

For the latest true crime and justice news, subscribe to the ‘Crime Stories with Nancy Grace’ podcast.

[Featured image: Shutterstock]