The search for US vice consul James Hogan, who disappeared on the island of Curaçao on Thursday, continues unabated.

Local authorities on the Antilles are getting support from US agencies, but they deny FBI involvement in the search. A number of traces have been found, including a pair of jeans and traces of blood, but research in the Forensic Institute of the Netherlands will have to establish whether these were Mr Hogan's.

Spokesperson for the public prosecutor's office, Ludmila Vicento, told Radio Netherlands Worldwide about progress so far:

"Mr Hogan's wife reported her husband missing on Friday morning. We're not excluding any scenarios. The clothes found match the description given by Mrs Hogan. The area where Mr Hogan used to take walks has been combed, as well as the area where the traces were found. We are being helped by the US Navy, which happened to have a ship with a helicopter in the vicinity of Curaçao. No FBI agents are involved in the investigation at this point, but US agencies may become active here if we invite them. The Netherlands has sent a couple of specialist detectives with search dogs."

Earlier disappearances are still fresh in the memory of the Netherlands Antillean people. Dutch trainee nurse Marlies van der Kouwe was killed on Bonaire, while on Aruba US teenager Natalee Holloway disappeared without trace.

Interview: René Roodheuvel