A day after the national minister of police, Bheki Cele, visited the Saldanha Bay area to assure residents that no resource would be spared in the search for missing Joshlin Smith, new developments have emerged.
Police have announced that pieces of clothing, allegedly stained with blood, have been found, raising concerns about the well-being of the missing grade 1 pupil.
Joshlin Smith has been missing since February 19, when she was last seen by her mother. Her mother had left her in the care of her boyfriend while she went to work. The community has been gripped with worry and has rallied together to support the search efforts.
In an effort to expand the search and increase the chances of finding Joshlin, Western Cape police have dispatched drone operators and search and rescue dogs to the area.
The use of drones will provide an aerial perspective and aid in covering larger areas efficiently, while the search and rescue dogs will utilise their keen sense of smell to detect any possible leads.
The discovery of stained clothing has added another layer of urgency to the search.
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“Clothing pieces, allegedly stained with blood, were discovered in an open field during random searches conducted on an open field late last night,” said Western Cape police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Malcolm Pojie.
He said the investigation team descended on the scene where the pieces of clothing were seized as part of ongoing investigation.
“The clothing will be sent to our forensic laboratory for analysis.”
Pojie said the search continues. “No arrests have been made.”
