Search widens for missing Russian police officers

The range of a search for three Russian police officers who went missing in the lower area of the Amur River has been expanded, officials said Saturday. The enlarged search area includes the Sakhalin coast, an official at the transport police department for the Far East Federal District told ITAR-Tass. Five search boats carrying a search party of 26 people combed the water along the Sakhalin coast from the village of Romanovka to the settlement of Rybnovsk, and the coastline between the capes of Grote, Chingai, Pyrki and Noksi for Maj. Andrei Bakanov, Senior Sgt. Sergei Arzhakov and Senior Sgt. Maxim Kharin. They disappeared Oct. 12 while patrolling the Amur River as part of an operation against poaching. Last contact was made with them was late on Oct. 11. A search group has found personal belongings -- a life jacket, a jacket, a telephone and documents of one of the missing men -- on a small island in the lower Amur area. Their boat has not been found.