New Zealand officials confirm that human remains found in an abandoned storage unit following an auction were the bodies of two young children, USA Today reports.

Counties Manukau Police claim “initial post-mortem examinations” were conducted after the remains were discovered by a family that won an auction. They also noted that the bodies were of “two primary school-aged children.” In a news conference held by the department, Detective Inspector Tofilau Faamanuia Vaaelua revealed that the children were probably between the ages of 5 and 10.

“These children may have been deceased for a number of years before being found last week,” said Anna Thompson, a spokesperson for the police department. The family alerted investigators after sorting through items that were sent to them after they won the contents of a storage unit during an auction.

Per the report, the members of the household located in the South Auckland suburb of Manurewa found the human body parts in two separate suitcases. “Formal identification procedures are still ongoing, which means police are not yet able to comment on the identities of the children,” per the findings. “We want to reassure the community [that] our investigation continues to establish the facts to ascertain the full circumstances around the deaths of these children. This includes establishing when, where, and how.”

At this time, the examination is being treated as a homicide and the family who won the storage unit are not believed to have played any role in the deaths of the children. “The nature of this discovery provides some complexities to the investigation,” said officials. “However, we are continuing to treat this matter very seriously and we are determined to hold the person, or persons, responsible for the deaths of these children to account.” Once the remains of the bodies are identified, the families of the deceased children will be alerted.