Dezi Freeman may be hiding in any one of hundreds of mineshafts near Porepunkah, local guide says

A Victoria police helicopter circles above Porepunkah in the search for Dezi Freeman. Photograph: Ellen Smith/The Guardian

Alleged killer Dezi Freeman may be hiding in one of hundreds of mineshafts sunk in the Porepunkah region over the last two centuries, which would prevent his heat signature being detected, one expert says.

It has been more than a week since Freeman fled into rugged bushland in the Victorian high country, and police are likely using helicopters and drones equipped with infrared imaging technology in the hunt for him.