A police Special Branch team is believed to be on its way to a destination or destinations outside Sarawak to check on a theory that the missing Bell helicopter was hijacked after it took off from Bario, northern Sarawak, on July 12.

Until today, a massive search-and-rescue operation has failed to find the helicopter or the seven people who were on board.

Sources told malaysiakini that the Special Branch team would be away for at least a week to determine if the helicopter may have been flown out of the country into southern Philippines or across the border to Indonesia.

"This mission is so secret that the team would not say where they are going... except that they will not be in touch for at least the next six days," one source said.

Deputy Chief Minister Dr George Chan said that there were some reports of a helicopter flying at a low altitude towards neighbouring Sabah.

Contacted today on his satelllite telephone, Nelson Balang - the private secretary to missing Assistant Minister Dr Judson Sakai Tagal - said he had no knowledge of this.

He said most of the members of the search party had moved to Long Semado, which is twice the distance from Bario to Ba' Kelalan, effectively enlarging the search area in the direction towards Sabah in the north.

Balang said about 200 to 300 locals had gone to the Long Semada and Batu Lawi areas to make a thorough search.

Complete checks

Chan said hundreds of theories have been floating since the search began more than two weeks ago.

"No matter how preposterous some may sound, we check on every one," he said.

The Sarawak cabinet is to decide, after a briefing today, whether to call off the search or gradually scale down the size of the search party after assessing the realities of the situation, the prospects of finding the seven, and cost involved.

Meanwhile, a local English-language tabloid Malaysian Today reported today that a Lun Bawang hunter had once come out of the jungles in Batu Lawi a month after he had been reported missing.

He claimed jungle spirits had led him astray. When he finally managed to get out, he was in shock but otherwise unharmed.

Locals hearing this story now believe that the helicopter could have been "detained or hidden" in the jungles by spirits and that those on board are safe.