Nora Quoirin cops bring in cadaver dogs and a shaman in desperate search for Brit girl, 15, who vanished barefoot in a nightie in Malaysia
POLICE in Malaysia have brought in shaman and dogs trained to find dead bodies as the search for missing teen Nora Quoirin continues.
The 15-year-old Brit disappeared from a jungle resort last Sunday, sparking an extensive rescue operation involving a helicopter, sniffer dogs, and over 300 rescuers.
The search has now been expanded to include shaman, who claim to be able to enter a trance and communicate with a spirit world, and cadaver dogs, scouring the dense forest with their handlers.
“The cadaver dogs are used as well as sniffer dogs as there was no scent found of the girl in the first few days,” a member of the search team told MailOnline.
“As of yet the dogs have not found anything and that is a good sign.
“In the heat out here a body would be found sooner rather than later.”
It has also emerged Nora is thought to have been barefoot at the time of her disappearance.
Police have not said how long they intend to continue the search, but 348 people are currently involved.
On Friday, commandos from VAT 69, the Malaysian police’s elite special forces unit, were drafted in to help with the effort.
Officers from Scotland Yard, the National Crime Agency, and Ireland’s Garda force have also reportedly been sent to assist.
ABDUCTION INVESTIGATION
Nora’s parents discovered her missing from her room at the Dusun resort last Sunday morning after putting her to bed the night before wearing only her undergarments.
The family, who live in London, had arrived just a day earlier for a two-week “trip of a lifetime” at the resort, which sits 39 miles south of the capital Kuala Lumpur.
Local police initially treated the disappearance as a missing persons case, insisting they saw no evidence of foul play, but on Wednesday conceded Nora could have been abducted after finding unidentified fingerprints on a window in the living room of the family’s cottage.
Her parents, Meabh and Sebastien, have said from the beginning they believe she was abducted.
A forensics team were examining the prints, and police confirmed last week they believed Nora could only have left the property through that window.
The window was found propped open, and her family have said Nora, who has learning difficulties, could not have opened it on her own.
Fundraising pages to help Nora’s family with the costs they are incurring have so far raised over £100,000.
They are also reportedly considering a cash reward for information that could help find Nora.
‘WE WANT TO THANK YOU’
On Saturday, Nora’s mother Meabh thanked search teams for their hard work.
Speaking through a megaphone in a speech broadcast by local media, she said: “We want to say thank you to each and every one of you.
“We know you’re searching night and day for Nora.
“We see you working so hard and also praying with us and being with us.
“You have given up your time especially at a special festival time,” she said, referring to Hari Raya Haji, the Islamic “festival of sacrifice” celebrations.
“To be with us here, it means the world to us.
“We are so grateful for everything that you are doing for us, everyone who is helping here and not from here.
“We are extremely impressed by the effort, your expertise, your dedication and we hope you find Nora.
“Thank you so much and terima kasih,” she said.
Terima kasih is the Malay term for thank you.
APPEAL FOR INFORMATION
The family had been due to spend two weeks on the 12-acre Dusun Resort next to the Berembun Forest Reserve – 4,000 acres of protected forest rising to 3,900 feet.
The forest has wild boar, deer, giant millipedes, monkeys and leeches, according to the resort’s website.
There are two small villages near the resort where the majority of residents work in farming.
Nora is understood to have been travelling on an Irish passport.
A spokesman for Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs said: “We are aware of the case and providing consular assistance.”
The family has set up an email address where information can be passed on at findnoraq@gmail.com.
MOST READ IN WORLD NEWS
The Lucie Blackman Trust charity has also provided a hotline and email address for information.
People can remain anonymous and can call +448000988485 or email ops@lbtrust.org.
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at tips@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4368 . You can WhatsApp us on 07810 791 502. We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours.