Missing Person Investigations
Missing person investigations and person tracing for families and advisers in the UK and internationally. Begin with the last confirmed contact, welfare concerns and a clearly defined search brief.
A practical starting point when someone cannot be found
When someone is missing or contact has unexpectedly stopped, families can be left trying to make decisions from incomplete information. A missing person investigator can help assess the available material and identify which enquiries may clarify the situation.
Pegasus Ops considers missing person investigations and person-tracing enquiries in the UK and internationally. We establish the circumstances, your relationship to the person and the purpose of the search before proposing work. The approach for a missing child is different from an enquiry involving an adult or an old contact.
If someone is missing, contact the police. You do not have to wait 24 hours to report a missing person. In an immediate emergency, use the relevant emergency service. Private enquiries need to fit appropriately alongside any official response.
Location enquiries shaped around the circumstances
Missing children & family concerns
A parent may describe the situation as “my child has been taken abroad” or “my child’s mother or father will not tell me where they are”. We begin with the facts, existing police involvement and the family’s professional advisers. Specialist recovery support has its own assessment.
Explore international child recoveryMissing adults
We consider the circumstances of the disappearance, welfare concerns, available leads and the reason information is being sought. Finding someone and deciding what information may appropriately be shared are separate questions.
Discuss a missing-adult enquiryPerson tracing & renewed contact
An enquiry may concern an old address, interrupted contact or someone who needs to be located for a defined purpose. We assess the reliability of the starting information and whether the proposed search is appropriate before accepting instructions.
Discuss a person-tracing enquiryCross-border enquiries
Information can be spread across countries, languages and different sources. We identify the locations and questions in scope, and agree any local support, reporting and expenses. Where the enquiry concerns a child taken abroad, a separate recovery assessment may be appropriate.
Read about cross-border recovery support
A family enquiry that needed a wider protective response
In a published family case, Pegasus Ops located a missing child abroad within three days of being instructed. The engagement subsequently developed into residential security and close protection after concerns about the family’s wider exposure emerged.
That is a historical outcome from a particular case. For a new missing-person enquiry, we assess the information, welfare concerns and proposed work before discussing timing or likely next steps.
From first enquiry to a defined search brief
Build the starting picture
Explain when contact stopped, the general locations involved and what has already been done. We agree how any chronology, photographs or relevant records should be reviewed.
Agree the search and its outputs
The proposal identifies the questions to investigate, locations in scope, initial enquiries, agreed reporting points, fee and expenses. Known facts and unverified leads are recorded separately so the starting position is clear.
Receive findings and a next-step briefing
Reporting sets out the enquiries completed, information established, its reliability and remaining gaps. We explain what may appropriately be shared and agree any further work or coordination with police and professional advisers.
Questions families ask
Can a private investigator find someone?
A private investigator may be able to establish or corroborate location information through appropriate enquiries, but success depends on the starting information, circumstances and available sources. The first step is to explain why the person is being sought, your relationship and what is reliably known.
We distinguish a missing-person welfare concern from a person-tracing instruction. Finding an adult does not automatically mean an address or other personal information can be passed to the person making the enquiry. The purpose, reporting and limits are assessed before work is accepted.
What information helps a person-tracing enquiry?
Start with the general circumstances, last confirmed contact, approximate locations and steps already taken. Mark unverified leads clearly. We agree which records are relevant and how they should be supplied after the initial discussion; sensitive documents and exact addresses need an agreed channel.
Can a private investigator help find my missing child?
We can assess a proposed investigative brief, including the information available and the location enquiries that may be appropriate. Contact the police about a missing child and explain any immediate welfare concern. Our role and any professional coordination are agreed for the case.
My child has been taken abroad. Is this the right service?
Tell us the general circumstances and countries involved. Our international child-recovery support page explains the separate assessment for that type of enquiry. The facts, welfare concerns and legal position need to be understood alongside advice from appropriate professionals.
How much does a missing person investigation cost?
The quote depends on the starting information, locations, enquiries and reporting required. Cross-border work may also involve local support and expenses. The scope and fee are agreed before work begins; further enquiries are considered separately when the initial findings are available.
How long does person tracing take?
There is no fixed timescale. Reliable starting information and the number of locations or leads affect the proposed work. We agree an initial timetable and reporting points, explain outstanding gaps and review whether a further stage is justified.
Can you guarantee you will find someone?
No. The result depends on the circumstances, the quality of the information and the enquiries available. We explain the proposed work and its limits before you decide whether to proceed.
Where can I find official missing-person guidance?
GOV.UK explains how to report or find a missing person. It includes guidance on reporting promptly and the official routes for people missing abroad.
Explore related support
Discuss a missing-person enquiry
Start with a general outline, the timing, the countries involved and a safe way to reach you. We can then agree how to review the information needed to assess the enquiry.