Tweed Heads brothers: Boys 'deliberately avoiding police'
Two brothers at the centre of a large-scale search in far northern New South Wales are deliberately avoiding detection, police have said.
Police had narrowed their search to an area of dense coastal scrub near Byron Bay where they said one of the brothers was seen running from officers into the bush.
Jayden Brady, 14, and his brother Joseph, 11, were last seen at house in Tweed Heads about 3:00am (AEST) on Sunday.
Police believe they were taken by their father whom detectives said had refused to cooperate with the investigation.
Acting on information police conducted a major search of dense bushland at Tallow Beach, south of Cape Byron, on Wednesday afternoon.
Officers found a makeshift camp where it is believed the brothers had been staying with their father.
The 38-year-old was arrested in Byron Bay on Monday and charged with breaching an apprehended violence order (AVO).
He was granted bail on the condition he stayed in Main Arm, near Mullumbimby, and abided by the conditions of the AVO.
Police have been considering a review of his bail condition.
No comment from police on rumoured cult connection
Earlier on Wednesday police refused to say whether a cult was involved.
"There are a number of rumours running around at the moment. We're investigating all leads we've got," Tweed Byron local area command acting superintendent Shane Cribb said.
"All information we receive will be investigated."
Superintendent Cribb said it was likely the father knew where the boys were.
He said police believed there were others in the community who also knew where the children were.
"We respectfully ask those people come forward and provide police with that information so we can return those boys back to their rightful house where they can be cared for properly," he said.
"The family is quite distraught. We're maintaining close contact, we're keeping them appraised of our investigations."
Superintendent Cribb said the boys had previously gone missing about 12 months ago and for a longer period of time.
