Mass search for missing Ilias Chahdi (12) started, f ... (Wilrijk)

Mortsel –

The search for 12-year-old Ilias Chahdi, who has been missing since Thursday morning, continues unabated. His family is worried to death and posters are hung up, flyers are distributed and roadsides are combed through the area around his house. The police are talking about a worrying disappearance, but is not assuming a crime for the time being. A massive search operation was also started in Wilrijk around 5 pm.

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Dennis Van Damme

Today at 5:08 PM-

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In the parental home of Ilias, on the Vredebaan in Mortsel, family and concerned acquaintances come and go on Friday. Ilias Chahdi has been missing for more than 24 hours and the family has not slept a wink. All night they drove around in the vicinity of Mortsel, Edegem and Wilrijk, hoping to find the young man.

He had left by bike to his school on Thursday morning, it Our Lady of Lourdes College on Rombaut Keldermansstraat in Edegem, about a kilometer from his home. But he never got there. On camera images he can be seen at 8.18 am near the Q8 gas station on the Groenenborgerlaan in Wilrijk. At that moment he is cycling towards the center of Wilrijk. Since then, every trace has been missing. Ilias had forgotten his mobile phone at home, it is now in the hands of the police.

(Read more below the video)

Puzzle

According to an aunt, it is one big mystery why Ilias went out with his bicycle. “We have not heard of any problems at school,” she says. “They know him there as cheerful and friendly. Nothing special happened at home either. He has never just left. We are also unclear why he left for Wilrijk, although his mum works near the petrol station where he was last seen. ”

The investigation into the worrying disappearance is in the hands of the local police zone Minos. He continues to search for the young man and investigates all the tips that come in, but for the time being does not plan any targeted searches in parks or fortresses. “We assume that he is still mobile,” says supervisory director Johan Wonnink. “There are currently no indications of a crime or third party intervention.” In consultation with the Missing Persons Unit of the federal police, it is now being examined which further steps can be taken.

In the meantime, family members and acquaintances are still scouring the area around his house and a massive search has also started at 5 pm. The police will not support that action. “Simply because we have no concrete indication to search for a specific location,” says Wonnink. “Although it never hurts if everyone keeps their eyes open.” Ilias’ school also distributes flyers.

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Start massive search. — © Dirk Kerstens

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Ilias Chahdi was last seen at the Q8 gas station on the Groenenborgerlaan in Wilrijk. — © rr

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Blue-black backpack

Anyone who sees Ilias is urged to contact the police. He rides on a blue-gray mountain bike with mudguards and a beige saddle of the Scott brand and the ‘Sub Comfort 20 Men’ type. He wears a black bicycle helmet and is 1.62 meters tall. He has brown wavy hair and wears metallic glasses.

He is wearing a navy blue raincoat with two horizontal ocher stripes in the front with a white stripe in between. He is also wearing white sneakers and is wearing a blue-black backpack from the Eastpak brand.

Do you have any information? Call the police free of charge on 0800 / 30.300 or send an email to [email protected].