‘Vanished into thin air’: Police search Sydney suburb after grandfather’s suspicious disappearance

Police are combing suburban streets in Sydney’s south for clues after the suspicious disappearance of a 54-year-old grandfather who hasn’t been seen for more than three weeks.

Police said Zoran Popovski was last seen in Hurstville.Credit: NSW Police

Zoran Popovski was last captured on CCTV riding a train from Hurstville to Kogarah before walking along President Avenue, near the intersection with the Princes Highway, about 12.40pm on Friday, April 14. He has not been seen or heard from since.

Popovski’s family contacted police when they were unable to reach him the next day. His daughter Rebecca, 26, said she last saw her father on the Thursday and spoke to him just hours before he disappeared.

“He wanted to come over to my place, he wanted me to book him an Uber,” she said. “He would come over to my place nearly every day”.

When she phoned him after an appointment on Friday to arrange the Uber booking, his phone was off. “He was already gone,” she said. “It’s just like Dad has vanished into thin air.”

Popovski is an out-of-work bricklayer who had recently moved to a new place with an acquaintance in Kogarah. His mobile phone and belongings were left in the home, his daughter said.

She said he was not in any trouble and had seemed “fine” when she spoke to him in the morning before he disappeared. “Me and my family just want answers. It’s really frustrating not knowing what’s going on.”

Police issued several public appeals for information to find Popovski, and detectives have now formed Strike Force Yaminbah to investigate his disappearance. The State Crime Command’s homicide squad is working closely with investigators.

Police launched a land search in Kogarah on Thursday with assistance from the public order and riot squad, covering Cross Lane, French Street, Cross Street and President Avenue.

Vision released by police on Thursday afternoon showed detectives using sniffer dogs to search across multiple apartment complexes, garages and drains in the area.

St George police area commander, Superintendent Rohan Cramsie, said the investigation into Popovski’s disappearance had escalated because it was “out of character” for him to go for weeks without contact.

“He hasn’t been reported [missing] previously and investigators believe that he has limited access to funds or money so when you put those things together in totality, it is concerning,” he said.

Cramsie confirmed police were “keeping an open mind” about his disappearance and said if anyone had any further information it could be the “final piece of the puzzle”.

He said Popovski was known to local police but would not expand on his history.

Police described Popovski as being of Caucasian appearance with an olive complexion, between 165 and 170 centimetres tall, of thin build, with black hair and brown eyes.

He was last seen wearing a dark shirt, dark pants and possibly wearing glasses.

Police have urged anyone with information to contact Kogarah police station or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

with Sarah Keoghan

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