Search for missing people deemed a success

The National Police Administration has helped locate 8,555 missing persons since the middle of January through the combined efforts of police, medical and social agencies.

Minister of the Interior Yu Cheng-hsien (余政憲) made the remarks during a press conference he called to display the results of efforts to locate missing persons.

Among the people found were some who had already been mistakenly declared by the courts to be dead, Yu said.

Yu cited the example of a 44-year-old mentally ill woman surnamed Wu who disappeared in May 1986 and was later admitted to a hospital in Tamshui. She was eventually reunited with her family after many years of separation and after having been given up for dead by the authorities.

Some relatives of those found also showed up at the press conference to express their gratitude to the police. An old man surnamed Chen said that he was able to spend time with his brother on his deathbed because of the assistance of the task force that was formed to help find missing persons. His brother had been missing since last October.

Yu also urged the public to pitch in with the task of helping find missing persons, saying that just one phone call could help bring a family together again.

Tainan police officer Chang Shun-teh (張順德), who has been credited for his success in helping find missing persons, suggested that the public use the government Web site to help find and identify missing persons.

The Web site can be found at http://www.npa.gov.tw.