Daily TeamIt’s been nearly two weeks since Łukasz Łabenda, a 24-year-old from Poznań, vanished after what seemed like a dream vacation in Thailand. On October 2, he was set to fly home, keeping in regular contact with his mother throughout his trip, sending photos, and sharing stories. But on the day of his return, everything changed. Łukasz’s last message was at 8:17 AM, and since then, his phone has been silent. His mother, wracked with worry, contacted both the Polish police and a private detective agency for help, but the trail quickly grew cold.
In a strange twist, the case deepened when it was revealed that Tomasz J., Łukasz’s colleague and close friend, had also gone missing around the same time. The two had been living and working together in the Netherlands and often traveled together. While searching for Łukasz, authorities learned that Tomasz had been detained in France in connection with a drug-related crime. Tomasz’s sudden arrest raised concerns about whether Łukasz could have been caught in a similar situation—or worse, whether he might be hiding or detained without anyone’s knowledge.
Despite the unsettling developments, hope remained. New clues emerged when detectives found that Łukasz had, in fact, boarded a flight from Thailand to Vienna, with a layover in Abu Dhabi. However, once he reached Vienna, the trail went cold. Investigators discovered that in the last photo Łukasz sent to friends, a travel magazine from Austrian OBB trains was visible, suggesting he may have boarded a train after arriving in Vienna. But where did he go from there? Did he head further into Europe or was something more sinister at play?
Detectives have been tirelessly piecing together information, speaking to people who worked with both men in the Netherlands and France, as well as following up on leads from Thailand, Austria, and beyond. They believe it’s possible Łukasz could be detained, just as Tomasz was. However, with police systems in Europe not always updated in real-time, it’s possible Łukasz’s whereabouts are known to authorities, but not yet communicated.
His mother, Joanna Łabenda, holds on to hope, saying, “Even if it turns out that he was detained by the police, in a sense, it would be good news because I would know my child is alive.” She continues to appeal to the public for any information and pleads with her son to contact her. “Łukasz, if you’re reading this, please, speak to me! We can find a way out, no matter what.”
With no solid answers yet, the question remains: Where is Łukasz Łabenda, and what happened on his journey back to Poland? Could he be caught in a web of legal troubles like Tomasz, or is there something else behind this disappearance? The clock is ticking, and the search continues, but every lead seems to raise more questions than answers.
