COPS searching for a missing British schoolgirl in the Malaysian jungle are checking in on local known paedophiles, it emerged today.
Nora Quoirin, 15, vanished seven days ago and it is feared the youngster may have been abducted in the Dusun forest resort.
Officers are now quizzing people who may have seen Nora, who has an Irish passport, before she disappeared.
Detectives have searched the homes of staff working on the resort and have interviewed the taxi driver who picked up the family from Kuala Lumpur Airport on Sunday.
Investigators from Malaysia’s Bukit Aman – the country’s equivalent of the FBI – are investigating known paedophiles and other criminals in the resort.
Police chief Mohamad Bin Mat Yusof said yesterday: “We are very worried about Nora’s welfare and do not know how long she can survive. We have no sign of her and no leads.”
“VERY WORRIED”
Cops now believe Nora, who has holoprosencephaly – which means her brain is smaller than average – may have left her room through a ground floor window.
Her distraught parents yesterday sobbed as they thanked search teams who have been hunting for their missing daughter.
Meabh and Sebastian Quoirin spoke Malay saying “terima kasih”, or “thank you”, to those searching for her.
In a short speech, Meabh held back tears, while her husband stood beside her, holding her arm, as she said she’d “miss cuddles at bedtime”.
In a video broadcast on 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.
We are very worried about Nora’s welfare and do not know how long she can survive. We have no sign of her and no leads.
Mohamad Bin Mat Yusof
“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.
The Quoirins, an Irish-French family who have lived in London for 20 years, arrived in the Dusun forest eco-resort in southern Negeri Sembilan state a week ago.
Search crews are now playing a voice recording of missing Nora’s mother over loudspeakers in the jungle, telling her: “Nora, darling, it’s mummy. Mummy is here now, my Nora bean.”
On Friday elite commandos joined the jungle hunt for the schoolgirl as concerned cops have drafted in the VAT 69 special forces in their search and rescue effort.
FOOTPRINTS FOUND
Local police chief Zakaria Othman said: “We will use every human resource available with us and since the Vat 69 Commando is our elite force, we have decided to also rope them in.”
Westlife also joined calls to find the missing teen as they performed in Malaysia during the Asian leg of their world tour.
The Irish boyband flashed posters of Nora on giant screens at the Malawati Stadium in the city of Shah Alam.
Singer Nicky Byrne then pleaded with 7,000 strong crowd to help find the vanished half-Irish teen.
It comes after cops said they believe Nora may still be alive after finding “her footprints” in the jungle.
Emergency teams say they are now focusing their search for the vulnerable youngster on isolated “hilly areas” as she could be hiding behind huge rocks.
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The family has set up an email address where information can be passed on at [email protected].
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 [email protected].
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