Vancouver police are renewing a public plea to help solve five missing persons cases reported last year, each involving young men between the ages of 19 and 29.

Geologist Matthew Huszar, 25, is the most recent of the young men to vanish in Vancouver. He disappeared at some point around midnight Dec. 16 after leaving a Christmas party at the Lamplighter pub in Gastown.

Brian Mbaruk, 20; Mitchell Gallivan, 19; Daniel Holt, 29; and Permadech Tatti, 21, are the other four unsolved cases being investigated by the police department's missing persons unit, Sgt. Kirk Star told reporters Friday morning.

The unit received roughly 3,700 missing person reports last year, solving more than 99.9 per cent of them, Star said.

"That's a pretty good solve rate," he said, with pictures of each of the young men flashing on a screen next to him. "I'm not satisfied, and neither are their five families."

So far, there have been no tips or evidence to suggest foul play in any of the cases, the officer said.

Nor does there appear to be any link between the men or the circumstances of their disappearances.

Star was at a loss to explain why the cases have gone unsolved. "We've exhausted all of our investigative avenues," he said.

The missing person's unit has received more than 3,000 reports in each of the past three years.

In addition to the five unsolved cases from 2011, there remain six others dating back to 2009.

Anyone with information about these missing men are asked to contact the Vancouver police department's missing persons unit at 604-717-2530. Anonymous tips can be made via CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

eduggan@vancouversun.com

Unsolved 2011 missing persons cases:

Permadech Tatti, 21.

Tatti was reported missing by a family friend on March 20, 2011. He is from Thailand and came to Canada to attend school. Tatti dropped out of school shortly before he went missing and his work visa expires in September 2012.

He's six feet one and 165 pounds. Tatti was last seen on March 11, 2011, by a neighbour, sitting in front of his home in southwest Vancouver with a large suitcase.

Daniel Michael Holt, 29.

Holt was reported missing by his mother on Sept. 12, 2011. He lived on his boat moored in Mosquito Creek Marina in North Vancouver. Holt was previously employed by a software company in Victoria.

He's described as white, five feet 11 and 170 pounds.

Mitchell Gallivan, 19.

Gallivan was last seen on Oct. 19, 2011 riding his bike in southwest Vancouver at 2:30 p.m. He's known to have spent time living on commune farms in the Interior and on Vancouver Island. He has a history of disappearing for extended periods without notice but he has always returned to Vancouver. He's described as white, six feet three and 190 pounds.

Brian Mbaruk, 20.

Mbaruk was last seen on a bus headed for Grouse Mountain on Nov. 18, 2011. He planned to go on a day hike in the North Shore mountains. An extensive two-day search by North Shore Search and Rescue was conducted, but turned up nothing. Mbaruk is described as black, six feet two and 170 pounds.

Mathew Huszar, 25.

Huszar was last seen around midnight on Dec. 16, 2011 after leaving a Christmas party in Gastown. He was supposed to be leaving for Victoria the following day to meet his family for Christmas, but he never arrived. Huszar was a recent university graduate who worked as a geologist for a mining company. He's described as white, five feet 11 and 160 pounds.