SEREMBAN: Police have denied reports by international media which claimed that the search and rescue team (SAR) had overlooked several key clues that led to their failure to find 15-year-old Irish teenager, Nora Anne Quoirin.
Negri Sembilan deputy police chief, Assistant Commissioner Che Zakaria Othman, said throughout the SAR operation, the team didn’t only focus on the victim’s search but also on the investigation.
He said it is feared that the report issued by the international media had cited unauthorised sources from the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) as the department had never made such a statement.
“We have never made such statement. It is not valid. However, investigations into the case are still ongoing and the police are waiting for the full report of the autopsy before it will be referred to the Deputy Public Prosecutor for further instructions,” he said after the closing of the Negri Sembilan Police Contingent Cadet Corp Competition 2019 at the contingent police headquarters here today.
Earlier, a media portal from the United Kingdom had reported that Malaysian police claimed the SAR team had missed some important clues in the search for Nora Anne, a special needs teenager, who was reported missing on Aug 4.
The matter was said to be the cause for the team’s failure to find and rescue Nora Anne before her body was found on the 10th day of the operation in a ravine near a river, about 2.5 km from the resort her family was staying.
In another development, Che Zakaria also confirmed that six Negri Sembilan police officers had been called for investigation after drug tests conducted on them during the Ops Blue Devil last week came out positive.
“The six policemen have been confirmed positive for various kinds of drugs. Investigations are still ongoing,” he said.