A 14-year-old boy from the Netherlands who had been missing for three weeks has been found in Poland. The teenager was discovered at a bus stop about 30 kilometers from the border with Belarus.
This is reported by NOS and the Polish police.
Maksym, 14, disappeared three weeks ago after leaving the Dutch city of Apeldoorn on his bicycle. Since then, law enforcement has been searching for him, and information about his disappearance has been spread in the Netherlands, Germany and Poland.
The boy was found late at night near the Polish city of Bialystok. According to local police, law enforcement officers received a report of a person lying at a bus stop. When they arrived at the scene, they found the teenager sleeping under a blanket.
It later emerged that this was the boy the Dutch police were looking for. The teenager was taken to a care facility in Białystok, and information about his discovery was passed on to the Dutch side.
The boy's parents said they were “relieved” by the news that he had been found. A family spokesman said they had already spoken to their son on the phone and were planning to bring him home as soon as possible. The family also thanked the police and everyone who helped with the search.
The teenager's condition has not been officially disclosed, but Polish Interior Minister Marcin Kerwiński said the situation ended positively.
Dutch police previously suggested that the boy may have been planning to travel to Russia. He reportedly prepared well for his trip, but law enforcement officials were seriously concerned for his safety.