Elite VAT 69 commandos join search for Irish teen Nora Anne

Members of the search and rescue team look at a map of the area near the resort where Nora Anne Quoirin went missing on Sunday. (Bernama pic.)

NILAI: The search and rescue operation to locate 15-year-old Franco-Irish teenager Nora Anne Quoirin has been boosted with the deployment of the elite police VAT 69 commandos.

Negeri Sembilan deputy police chief Che Zakaria Othman said two officers and 21 members of the team had reported for duty.

“We will use whatever human resource that we have. VAT (Very Able Trooper) 69 is an elite force that has the expertise and skills to assist us in this operation,” he told reporters at the Pantai police station in Seremban.

Three personnel from the Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) in Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, also joined the operation yesterday, bringing the total number of personnel involved to 261.

The operation to locate Nora Anne, who went missing from the Dusun Resort on Sunday, entered the seventh day today.

Nine drones belonging to the police and private parties equipped with thermal imaging cameras took part in the search last night.

Besides the police, personnel from the General Operations Force, the Senoi Praaq unit, State Fire and Rescue Department, Malaysian Civil Defence Force, Malaysian Volunteers Corps Department and the state Forestry Department are also involved in the operation.

Asked if the weather change would impact the operation, Che Zakaria said all personnel were prepared to face any possibility.

Nora Anne was reported missing after arriving at the resort with her parents from London on Saturday for a two-week vacation. She was discovered missing from her room at 8am on Sunday.

Che Zakaria dismissed claims that the teenager’s footprints had been found as reported by the media.

“We are rechecking the areas we have inspected prior to this covering a radius of 6km from the resort,” he said.

Asked whether the window from which Nora Anne, a special needs teenager, was believed to have climbed out, could be opened from outside, Che Zakaria said it could be opened if it was not locked.

“So far, the case is still classified as a missing person case and the Crime Investigation Department has been involved since the first day of operation and upgraded daily.

“We are also coopersating with Interpol,” he said.

He said a police officer was also stationed with the family at the resort to facilitate communication with the authorities. - FMT