Police are focusing their search in the Piha area of Auckland after making a breakthrough yesterday in the search for a French teen who vanished earlier this month.
Eloi Jean Rolland, 18, was last seen at the Fruitvale Road railway station in the Auckland suburb of New Lynn on Saturday, March 7, after leaving his Birkenhead address the previous evening, detective senior sergeant Marcia Murray said in a statement yesterday.
She said today that inquiries into Mr Rolland's mobile phone revealed he had been in the area of Piha Road at 9.18am on the same day.
Ms Murray says a search and rescue team began conducting a search around the Piha Road area yesterday afternoon.
"This search effort has been scaled up today, with the SAR team conducting land-based searches in the Piha area.
"We are urging anyone that lives in the Piha area that may have seen Eloi on Saturday 7 March to contact police.
"Likewise, we are asking anyone travelling along Piha Road that has dash camera footage from that morning to get in touch with us," Ms Murray says.
Police are asking the public to contact them if they have seen Mr Rolland.
"As time passes since the last confirmed sighting of Eloi, our concerns for his wellbeing continue to grow," says Ms Murray.
"I would like to acknowledge those members of the public who have contacted police so far.
"We have received a number of calls and we will work through assessing the information provided."
Mr Rolland, described as 170cm tall and of a thin build, was last seen wearing a blue and white jacket, jeans and dark sneakers. He speaks limited English.
Anyone with information has been urged to contact the Waitemata Police crime squad on (09) 839 0697, quoting file number 200310/8987, or anonymously through Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
SHARE ME