The New York Police Department has intensified its search for 19-year-old student of Indian origin, Erica Desai, who has been missing for about a week, a media report said.

She was last seen on Jan 20 by her cousin who dropped her off at the St John's University dorm shortly after landing at LaGuardia airport in New York.

Police said that they are looking for a man and woman who were seen in the surveillance tape, using her debit card at an ATM machine in Manhattan.

She made last call when she landed at the airport but since then her telephone is switched off.

Her sister Seena Desai told New York Daily News that everything was totally normal.

"We don't know what happened," she said.

Her sister and mother are arriving in New York from North Carolina to help the authorities in their search. A media report quoting police said that she had recently been expelled from the University, but gave no reason.