KUANTAN, Jan 27 — The search for a Finnish man, believed to be missing in Pulau Tioman since Tuesday, was intensified today with the help of tracker dogs.

Rompin District police chief DSP Azli Mohd Noor said the second day of operation, which began at 8.30am today, focused on the areas around Kampung Paya heading towards Kampung Genting.

“The operation involved 41 personnel from the police, fire brigade and Civil Defence Force as well as local residents, with the help of tracker dogs,” he said in a statement today.

Yesterday, restaurant worker Jamsari Ismail, 47, lodged a police report on the disappearance of Nakitin Aleksis Elis Valtteri, 20, who was last seen on Tuesday.

Jamsari claimed that the Finn, whom he got to know on Monday evening, had stayed over at his house in Kampung Paya and also asked him for directions to the Asah waterfall in Kampung Mukut.

He added that the Finn was nowhere to be seen when he returned home from work on Tuesday evening, although the foreigner’s documents and other belongings were still there.

Seventeen personnel started the search and rescue operation at 3.30pm yesterday before calling it off at 6pm due to darkness. — Bernama