ES News email The latest headlines in your inbox twice a day Monday - Friday plus breaking news updates Enter your email address Continue Please enter an email address Email address is invalid Fill out this field Email address is invalid You already have an account. Please log in Register with your social account or click here to log in I would like to receive lunchtime headlines Monday - Friday plus breaking news alerts, by email Update newsletter preferences

Malaysian police have said they are not ruling out a "criminal element" after fingerprints were found in a forest resort where a 15-year-old London girl was reported missing.

Officers searching for Nora Quoirin initially said there were no signs of foul play over her disappearance from the Dusun eco-resort in southern Negeri Sembilan state on Sunday morning.

But deputy police chief Che Zakaria Othman said on Wednesday that a police forensic team was analysing fingerprints found in the resort.

He declined to give any further details, but said investigators are "not ruling out any possibility", including a criminal element.

He added that the case is still classified as a missing persons inquiry.

Search for Nora Quoirin in Malaysia 36 show all Search for Nora Quoirin in Malaysia 1/36 Family members of Nora's gather at Tunku Jaafar Hospital EPA 2/36 Members of a rescue team are seen behind a police line at the Dusun Resort AFP/Getty Images 3/36 A police vehicle is seen at an entrance to the Dusun Resort AFP/Getty Images 4/36 Sky News 5/36 A policeman walks near a police line at an entrance to the Dusun Resort AFP/Getty Images 6/36 A police forensic vehicle arriving to the Dunsun Resort REUTERS 7/36 A Malaysian 'Bomoh' or shaman, was assisting with the search effort EPA 8/36 Meabh Quoirin thanks search teams for their efforts AFP/Getty Images 9/36 350 people have now joined the search effort AFP/Getty Images 10/36 A Royal Malaysian Police officer hands a leaflet to a motorist bearing a portrait of the missing 15-year-old. AFP/Getty Images 11/36 A shaman prays in a 'trance' while trying to find missing Nora EPA 12/36 As the search for missing London teen Nora Quoirin enters it's fifth day, searchers plan to use a loudspeaker to broadcast the voices of her relatives. EPA 13/36 Eadaoin Agnew, center, aunt of Nora Anne Quoirin who is missing in Malaysia, reads a video statement in Pantai, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia AP 14/36 A member of a Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department participate in a search and rescue operation for 15-year-old Nora Quoirin from London, in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia EPA 15/36 Nilai District Police Chief Mohd Nor Marzukee Besar (R) points to a map during a search and rescue operation for 15-year-old Nora Quoirin from London, in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia EPA 16/36 A Malaysian diver takes part in a search and rescue operation for the missing 15-year-old Franco-Irish, Nora Quoirin in Seremban AFP/Getty Images 17/36 Malaysian police officers stop vehicles at a checkpoint near The Dusun resort, where 15-year-old Irish girl Nora Anne Quoirin went missing in Seremban, Malaysia Reuters 18/36 A member of Malaysian rescue team holds a radio communincation during a search and rescue operation in a forest for the missing 15-year-old Franco-Irish girl Nora Quoirin in Seremban AFP/Getty Images 19/36 A Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department K9 Unit participates in a search and rescue operation for 15-year-old Nora Quoirin from London, in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia EPA 20/36 Negeri Sembilan Police Chief Mohamad Mat Yusop (R) speaks during a press conference in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia EPA 21/36 Poster with the image of 15-year-old Nora Quoirin from London who is currently missing in Malaysia EPA 22/36 Members of a Malaysian fire and rescue department team continue the search and rescue operation EPA 23/36 Unit officer from the Royal Malaysian Police takes part in the search for 15-year-old Nora Quoirin from London who is currently missing in Seremban, Negri Sembilan, Malaysia EPA 24/36 A member of General Operations Force works at a temporary operation shelter near The Dusun resort where a 15-year-old London girl went missing, in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia AP 25/36 Royal Malaysian police officers prepare before the search and rescue operation gets underway EPA 26/36 A police officer uses a sniffer dog as police search for 15-year-old Irish girl Nora Anne Quoirin who went missing from a resort in Seremban, Malaysia Reuters 27/36 Royal Malaysian Police patrol near the 'The Dusun' resort, in Seremban, Negri Sembilan, Malaysia EPA 28/36 Negeri Sembilan Police Chief Mohamad Mat Yusop (2-R) holds the pictures of 15-year-old Nora Quoirin from London who is reported missing in Malaysia, during a press conference in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia EPA 29/36 Members of a Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department team continue a search and rescue operation for 15-year-old Nora Quoirin from London, who was staying with her family before going missing in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysi EPA 30/36 A photo of 15-year-old London girl Nora Quoirin, who went missing from The Dusun resort, is seen at a temporary operation shelter in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia AP 31/36 Members of Malaysian rescue team take part in a search and rescue operation for the missing 15-year-old Nora Quoirin from LondoN AFP/Getty Images 32/36 Members of General Operations Force work at a temporary operation shelter near The Dusun resort where a 15-year-old London girl went missing, in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia AP 33/36 Members of search and rescue teams work at a temporary operation shelter near to The Dusun resort where a 15-year-old London girl went missing, in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia AP 34/36 A member of a Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department and a Malaysia Civil Defence Force officer participate in a search and rescue operation for 15-year-old Nora Quoirin from London, who was staying with her family before going missing in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia EPA 35/36 A picture of the missing 15-year-old Nora Quoirin from London, is seen posted by the gate of a building in Seremban AFP/Getty Images 36/36 Members of a Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department and Malaysia Civil Defence Force continue the search and rescue operation for 15-year-old Nora Quoirin from London, who was staying with her family before going missing in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia EPA 1/36 Family members of Nora's gather at Tunku Jaafar Hospital EPA 2/36 Members of a rescue team are seen behind a police line at the Dusun Resort AFP/Getty Images 3/36 A police vehicle is seen at an entrance to the Dusun Resort AFP/Getty Images 4/36 Sky News 5/36 A policeman walks near a police line at an entrance to the Dusun Resort AFP/Getty Images 6/36 A police forensic vehicle arriving to the Dunsun Resort REUTERS 7/36 A Malaysian 'Bomoh' or shaman, was assisting with the search effort EPA 8/36 Meabh Quoirin thanks search teams for their efforts AFP/Getty Images 9/36 350 people have now joined the search effort AFP/Getty Images 10/36 A Royal Malaysian Police officer hands a leaflet to a motorist bearing a portrait of the missing 15-year-old. AFP/Getty Images 11/36 A shaman prays in a 'trance' while trying to find missing Nora EPA 12/36 As the search for missing London teen Nora Quoirin enters it's fifth day, searchers plan to use a loudspeaker to broadcast the voices of her relatives. EPA 13/36 Eadaoin Agnew, center, aunt of Nora Anne Quoirin who is missing in Malaysia, reads a video statement in Pantai, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia AP 14/36 A member of a Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department participate in a search and rescue operation for 15-year-old Nora Quoirin from London, in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia EPA 15/36 Nilai District Police Chief Mohd Nor Marzukee Besar (R) points to a map during a search and rescue operation for 15-year-old Nora Quoirin from London, in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia EPA 16/36 A Malaysian diver takes part in a search and rescue operation for the missing 15-year-old Franco-Irish, Nora Quoirin in Seremban AFP/Getty Images 17/36 Malaysian police officers stop vehicles at a checkpoint near The Dusun resort, where 15-year-old Irish girl Nora Anne Quoirin went missing in Seremban, Malaysia Reuters 18/36 A member of Malaysian rescue team holds a radio communincation during a search and rescue operation in a forest for the missing 15-year-old Franco-Irish girl Nora Quoirin in Seremban AFP/Getty Images 19/36 A Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department K9 Unit participates in a search and rescue operation for 15-year-old Nora Quoirin from London, in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia EPA 20/36 Negeri Sembilan Police Chief Mohamad Mat Yusop (R) speaks during a press conference in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia EPA 21/36 Poster with the image of 15-year-old Nora Quoirin from London who is currently missing in Malaysia EPA 22/36 Members of a Malaysian fire and rescue department team continue the search and rescue operation EPA 23/36 Unit officer from the Royal Malaysian Police takes part in the search for 15-year-old Nora Quoirin from London who is currently missing in Seremban, Negri Sembilan, Malaysia EPA 24/36 A member of General Operations Force works at a temporary operation shelter near The Dusun resort where a 15-year-old London girl went missing, in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia AP 25/36 Royal Malaysian police officers prepare before the search and rescue operation gets underway EPA 26/36 A police officer uses a sniffer dog as police search for 15-year-old Irish girl Nora Anne Quoirin who went missing from a resort in Seremban, Malaysia Reuters 27/36 Royal Malaysian Police patrol near the 'The Dusun' resort, in Seremban, Negri Sembilan, Malaysia EPA 28/36 Negeri Sembilan Police Chief Mohamad Mat Yusop (2-R) holds the pictures of 15-year-old Nora Quoirin from London who is reported missing in Malaysia, during a press conference in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia EPA 29/36 Members of a Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department team continue a search and rescue operation for 15-year-old Nora Quoirin from London, who was staying with her family before going missing in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysi EPA 30/36 A photo of 15-year-old London girl Nora Quoirin, who went missing from The Dusun resort, is seen at a temporary operation shelter in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia AP 31/36 Members of Malaysian rescue team take part in a search and rescue operation for the missing 15-year-old Nora Quoirin from LondoN AFP/Getty Images 32/36 Members of General Operations Force work at a temporary operation shelter near The Dusun resort where a 15-year-old London girl went missing, in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia AP 33/36 Members of search and rescue teams work at a temporary operation shelter near to The Dusun resort where a 15-year-old London girl went missing, in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia AP 34/36 A member of a Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department and a Malaysia Civil Defence Force officer participate in a search and rescue operation for 15-year-old Nora Quoirin from London, who was staying with her family before going missing in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia EPA 35/36 A picture of the missing 15-year-old Nora Quoirin from London, is seen posted by the gate of a building in Seremban AFP/Getty Images 36/36 Members of a Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department and Malaysia Civil Defence Force continue the search and rescue operation for 15-year-old Nora Quoirin from London, who was staying with her family before going missing in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia EPA

Nora's family, who discovered the teenager missing from her bedroom with the window left open on Sunday, have said they believe she has been abducted.

They said they had "no reason to believe she wandered off and is lost".

In a statement released on Tuesday, they added: "Nora's family believe she has been abducted.

"We are especially worried because Nora has learning and developmental disabilities, and is not like other 15-year-olds.

"She looks younger, she is not capable of taking care of herself, and she won't understand what is going on.

"She never goes anywhere by herself. We have no reason to believe she wandered off and is lost."

Nora's distraught uncle told the Standard relatives are losing hope about her safe return.

Francois Vauquois said: “Both abduction and ‘vanishing’ hypothesis are considered but Nora’s parents are convinced she couldn’t have left on her own. I have to say we are very pessimistic now.”

Police have expanded the search for Nora, with more than 160 personnel now looking for the teenager, who has special needs, local media reported.

Those searching dense jungle and hilly terrain on foot and by helicopter include police, the fire and rescue services department, civil defence and the forestry department, Malaysia's The Star reports.

Sniffer dogs are also being used in the search for Nora, who is the daughter of an Irish-French couple who have lived in London for about 20 years.

Police said local indigenous people - known as Orang Asli - are also helping with the search.

Negeri Sembilan police chief Mohamad Mat Yusop told a press conference on Tuesday that there was no evidence Nora had been abducted.

"We have no clues, no evidence to say this case is abduction," the police chief said. "We will do our very best. We will not give up hope. We believe that she didn't go far and that she had lost her way."

He said that sniffer dogs had picked up the teenager's scent within 100 metres from her resort bedroom but the trail stopped there.

He added the girl's mother had reported that she was only in her undergarments when they put her to bed but it was unclear if she was dressed when she disappeared because nobody saw her leave.

Villagers who joined in the search expressed concern over Nora's fate.

"This particular jungle, for outsiders, they don't know how to navigate, they get lost. Natives like me, we are used to this jungle," said Bali anak Akau.

Haanim Bamadhaj, a resort spokesman, said the Dusun management is baffled by Nora's disappearance.