It was Friday night a week ago that a man was reported missing in the Tana area. A major search operation was launched for the man in his 30s. The man is not originally from Tana and Finnmark, but has close family from the area. The search operation ended after last weekend, but this weekend the police went out with a message if they believe that the missing persons are exposed to a criminal act. The police in Finnmark announce in a press release that they have set up a large investigation team that has worked closely throughout the last week, throughout the weekend and will continue as long as there is a need for it. – We also have assistance from Kripos, which contributes with enhanced investigation management and technical assistance. A massive investigation is underway and we are working in projects and have divided all the tasks into different projects, be it follow-up of tips, review of electronic data, witness interviews and more, says police attorney Anja Mikkelsen Indbjør. – It is a large and demanding investigation. We do not yet know what has happened to the missing person or where a possible crime scene is, but we are working intensively on it. Succeeded in the district court On Saturday 24 June, the police announced in a press release that they suspect that the missing persons are probably exposed to a criminal act. A man in his 20s was charged and remanded in custody with a letter and visiting ban for four weeks on the same day. – The accused has given an incorrect explanation and according to the police investigation it is suspected that the missing person may have been exposed to a criminal act, murder or serious violence resulting in death and it is suspected that the accused is connected to or contributed to the act, said Police attorney Anja Mikkelsen Indbjør. Mikkelsen Indbjør further stated that the police wanted to investigate his role in the disappearance and therefore requested remand in custody at the Inner and Eastern Finnmark district court on Saturday. – Regarding the accused, the police believe there is reason to question what he has explained in questioning, and we were allowed by the district court to remand him for four weeks with a letter and visiting ban, writes the police attorney in the press release from the police. – According to what the police know, he is the last known, confirmed person to have had contact with the missing person. Among other things, the police have searched for the missing man in the village of Rustefjelbma in Eastern Finnmark. Photo: Eilif Aslaksen / news Does not rule out that more people may be charged In an e-mail to news, police attorney Anja Mikkelsen Indbjør writes that for the sake of the investigation they do not say anything about whether there are more people who have been in contact with the missing persons in the time leading up to the disappearance . – Due to the investigation, we cannot say anything about this, writes Mikkelsen Indbjør. – There is still a lot of investigation to be done and we do not want to rule out that more people may be charged, writes the police attorney further about the disappearance case in Tana. Appealing detention Trond Pedersen Biti is the defender of the man charged in the disappearance case in Tana. He states that his client is appealing the ruling on the detention. – He is surprised and he does not understand this, says Pedersen Biti, who expects the appeal to be sent to the Hålogaland Court of Appeal during Monday. – We think that the requirements for tampering with evidence are set too low. We argue that there is too flimsy a basis, says the defender, who adds that the police have the car and all electronic traces. The accused has given the police information about his contact with the accused before he was reported missing, when he was arrested on Thursday. Pedersen Biti says that he thinks this is a special case. – He has been charged, but you don’t know what has happened to the missing. It will only be speculation. The police are appealing for witnesses who have seen a silver-grey VW Caravelle driving in Tana municipality, particularly the sections of Tana bru, Rustefjelbma and the Smalfjord area. Photo: Eilif Aslaksen / news Asking for tips On Saturday, the police in Finnmark issued an appeal for witnesses who have seen a silver-grey VW Caravelle driving in Tana municipality, especially the sections Tana bridge, Rustefjelbma, Smalfjord area, on the night of Friday 16 June in the period from midnight to 0500. – We do not rule out other areas and neighboring municipalities. If anyone has camera surveillance, wildlife cameras and the like that may have captured the car, we would like them to contact the police on tel. 02800, the press release said. They also wanted contact with the driver of a black Toyota Hilux who has been driving in the Rustefjelbma area during the same period. On Monday still asked for the public’s help. They want tips if anyone has seen the two cars that they previously wanted, a black Toyota Hilux and a silver-grey VW Caravelle. – We process all tips and follow up on the information that comes in continuously, without me being able to go into what we have received, police attorney Anja Mikkelsen Indbjør writes in an e-mail to news.
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– A massive investigation is underway – news Troms and Finnmark
