“Material” has been recovered from two crocodiles captured near the site of a man’s disappearance in the state’s far north last week, Queensland police say.

Arthur Booker, a 62-year-old Vietnam veteran from Logan in Brisbane’s south, is thought to have been taken by a crocodile while checking crab pots in the Endeavour River, near Cooktown, early on September 30.

The unidentified material from the crocodiles’ stomachs will be examined to ascertain whether they played a part in the his disappearance.

Police said it may be some time before the results of further forensic tests are known and referred to the coroner.

“The family has requested that their privacy be respected by the media during this difficult time,” a police statement said.