A YEAR ago, Milun Dhanjee went to spend a week with his father. His mother has not seen her son since.

Every day, Susan Dhanjee, of Staithes, North Yorkshire, frantically searches for clues to six-year-old Milun's whereabouts through the Internet.

But now, on the anniversary of his abduction, North Yorkshire police have launched an international manhunt in an attempt to find Milun, who was whisked from the country in secrecy by his wealthy father, Viral Vadilal Dhanjee.

And the pain is all the harder to bear for Susan because she had warned that her husband might abduct Milun.

He had already tried once - in 1998 - when he was caught on a plane with the boy at Gatwick Airport about to flee the country.

Eight months later, he devised a cunning plan to take the boy from his mother.

"I knew exactly what was going to happen but nobody would take any notice," said Susan.

"I knew what he was like but there was nothing I could do to stop it. I was absolutely devastated."

Now North Yorkshire Police are working in tandem with Interpol and Seychelles Police, searching for previously unearthed clues to the boy's whereabouts.

Mr Dhanjee was given visiting rights to Milun after Susan fought a High Court battle for custody following the couple's marriage breakdown in 1998.

Under a visiting order, Mr Dhanjee was forced to submit his passport to his estranged wife while he had Milun. Susan was also granted twice-daily phone calls to ensure her son was safe.

Despite this, the abduction was carried off. Mr Dhanjee, who travelled with a group of business associates, had a second Seychelles passport after claiming he lost his first.

Susan believes Milun travelled with one of Mr Dhanjee's associates and passed off Milun as one of his companion's children.

The boy's entrepreneur father owns four businesses in the Seychelles - Protec Agency, Protec, Protec Plumbing and a plaster moulding firm called OCP.

He has a 15-year-old son from another marriage living with his mother in the Seychelles after winning a custody battle in that country against the boy's mother.

And yet police are convinced Milun is not in the Seychelles.

DS Peter Morgan, lead officer in the investigation, said: "The child is not in the Seychelles. Even though we are happy the child is safe, we do not know where the child is. Inquiries are ongoing via Interpol."

Files on the case sit two feet thick. And officers are dedicated to ensuring the safe return of the boy.

"Our inquiries will continue to track Milun Dhanjee and track the whereabouts of Viral Dhanjee.

"We hope eventually we will locate him. It is now a year on and we are obviously aware a six-year-old away from his mother for a year is of concern."

For Susan, every day without her son seems like a year.

"I still haven't got over it and I never will," she said.

Kidnapped- Page 1