Argentine police searched through navy headquarters and state-run shipyard offices on Wednesday in a bid to investigate the disappearance of a submarine last month.

A judge ordered the searches to help probe alleged irregularities with repairs on the German-built submarine.

The searches came after the navy appeared to implicate two German companies Ferrostaal and Hawker, for electrical repair problems with the submarine. Argentine authorities on Wednesday also searched the Buenos Offices of Ferrostaal.

Read more: Argentine navy calls off search for missing submarine

The search for Argentina's missing submarine Where is the ARA San Juan? Argentina's ARA San Juan went missing in the South Atlantic last week with dozens of crew members on board. The German-built diesel-electric submarine was commissioned in 1985, but was refitted in 2014 — leading to some concerns that a mistake was made during the renovation.

The search for Argentina's missing submarine Missing at sea The submarine departed from the extreme southern port of Ushuaia on November 8 after it took part in a training exercise. Argentina says it lost contact with the submarine on November 15.

The search for Argentina's missing submarine Who is on board? There are 44 crew members on board the submarine, including Argentina's first female navy submarine officer. Eliana Maria Krawczyk, 35, joined the navy in 2004 and rose to become the master-at-arms on board the ARA San Juan.

The search for Argentina's missing submarine What could have gone wrong? Authorities do not yet know what happened on the missing submarine, but it's possible there was a technical issue. The submarine's captain reported that one of the ship's batteries had failed before communication was lost. There was speculation that an "unusual" noise transmitted just hours after the sub's last contact could have been the sound of an explosion.

The search for Argentina's missing submarine International search Argentina is leading a massive search for the missing submarine along with the help of several other countries including: Brazil, Britain, Chile, Colombia, France, Germany, Peru, the United States and Uruguay. Britain's HMS Clyde (pictured above) also joined in the search as it was returning from a patrol.

The search for Argentina's missing submarine Scanning the skies Several aircraft were also used in the search, but rescue efforts have been hampered by bad weather. Search teams are combing an area of around 185,000 square miles (480,000 square kilometers) — roughly the size of Spain.

The search for Argentina's missing submarine Searching with sonar On November 18, search units largely relied on information gathered by British polar exploration vessel, the HMS Protector (pictured above). The ship is equipped with underwater sonar technology and was following the lost submarine's path.

The search for Argentina's missing submarine False alarms Relatives have had to endure days of false hope however, after underwater sounds were determined to have originated from sea creatures and satellite signals turned out to be false alarms. Flares and a life raft were also found in the search area, but neither came from the missing submarine.

The search for Argentina's missing submarine President prays with relatives The disappearance of the submarine has gripped the nation. Argentina's President Mauricio Macri (L) has been praying with the family members of crew members and coordinating with naval leaders.

The search for Argentina's missing submarine Families clinging to hope "Argentina, be strong. In God we trust, we wait for you," reads a flag outside a navy base in Mar Del Plata. Worried relatives gathered at the base to await news of their loved ones. "We can make up a thousand movies with happy and sad endings, but the reality is that the days pass by and not knowing anything kills you," said Carlos Mendoza, the brother one of the crew members. Author: Rebecca Staudenmaier



Contract irregularities

Lawmaker Elisa Carrio from President Mauricio Macri's coalition has lodged a legal complaint against two former defense ministers, alleging irregularities in the repair contract had favored the German companies.

German public broadcasters Bayerischer Rundfunk reported on allegations earlier this month that German contractors had paid hefty bribes for the lucrative contract and had installed inferior battery cells in the submarine.

The German companies were awarded contracts to supply 964 battery cells for the submarine at a cost of €5.1 million ($6.1 million).

The San Juan reported a short-circuit problem with its batteries shortly before it disappeared in the South Atlantic with 44 people aboard. Monitoring groups reported hearing an explosion at the time.

Ferrostaal told the German DPA news agency last week that the Argentine navy had decided to replace the battery cells instead of acquiring new batteries to save costs. Ferrostaal said it did not directly participate in the repairs, only mediating a contract between Argentina and Hawker for spare parts and technical support. Ferrostaal said it was not aware of any irregularities.

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Navy travels to Germany

In the first week of December, navy spokesman Enrique Balbi told the Associated Press that officials had traveled to Germany to obtain more information about the design of the submarine San Juan, which underwent maintenance and repairs between 2008 and 2014.

When asked if the repairs had been certified by the manufacturer, Balbi said there are some processes that the Germany company might have been involved in and others where it was not.

The German shipmaker said in a statement that "ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems employees haven't been in operational contact with the Argentine submarine fleet for more than two decades." The TR-1700 class submarine was commissioned in the 1980s.

Authorities have given up searching for the submarine, admitting the crew members are dead.

Judge Marta Yanez, who issued the latest warrant, is also overseeing another inquiry into "possible wrongdoing," in response to desperate pleas for answers from family members.

dm, aw/sms (AFP, dpa, AP)