POLICE are hunting for two things to help them solve the mystery of what happened to a missing north Queensland couple - a white van and their bodies.

Scott Maitland and Cindy Masonwells have not been seen since July 5 when they stepped off a flight in Cairns to attend an engagement party and collect a vintage panel van that had been stolen months before, and was being repaired.

A 41-year-old man was arrested late Saturday night and charged with the murders of the pair but their bodies have not been found.

Police were tight-lipped about the man's arrest but confirmed he was known to the couple, who had been living in Mount Isa.

There were unconfirmed reports the man was linked to a Cairns vehicle mechanics' workshop where the couple's green Sandman panel van was being repaired after being stolen earlier this year.

But police did reveal their investigation was now focused on another vehicle - a white van seen in and around Cairns the day the couple disappeared.
Far Northern Region regional crime co-ordinator Detective Inspector Bruno Asnicar yesterday asked anyone who saw the white 2001 Ford Econovan between 9.45pm on July 5 to 1am on July 6 to contact police.

He said the the van was believed to have been within a 30-minute drive of Cairns during that time.

"I'm interested in the movements of the van, whether it was behind an industrial estate, in a paddock or just behaving in an erratic manner," he said.

Police are also looking for a large green double canvas swag and red and black shoulder bag.