Police said the family was not connected to the children’s deaths, and they are “understandably sad”.
The children – probably aged 5 to 10 – may have died several years ago, maybe three or four, Detective Inspector Tufilau Famanuja Valois said at a news conference on Thursday.
Valois said an autopsy was being conducted to try to identify the children. Investigators are also looking for clues about how, when and where the children died.
Valois said police are working with Interpol and have opened investigations with outside agencies, but initial investigations indicate that relatives of the victims are in New Zealand.
He added, “I really feel for the victims or the families of those victims. And you know here, now, there are relatives out there who don’t know their loved ones are dead.”
He said the case was “very disturbing news for the community”.
Police are trying to watch CCTV footage that may provide some clues, although they admit it may be difficult to obtain given so much time has passed.
The storage company is assisting the police with their inquiries, and other household and personal items sold from the storage facility are checked to identify a link to the bags, police said.
“Infuriatingly humble alcohol fanatic. Unapologetic beer practitioner. Analyst.”