Is missing boy (14) from Apeldoorn on his way to Russia by bicycle?

©Tao Yuan via Unsplash

Maxim (14) from Apeldoorn has been missing since April 18, 2026. The Dutch teenager, about 1.55 meters tall, was last seen leaving home from the Zuidbroek neighborhood on a gray Stella women's bicycle, dressed in a black Nike jacket and sweatpants, with an orange-red backpack. He also had shaved off his blond hair. This is evident from footage from a surveillance camera. Maxim has now been missing for two weeks. While an initial phase focused on the Twente region, the search is now focusing on Poland.

So the boy is said to have traveled east from Apeldoorn and police are even considering that Russia could be his target. Why the boy would want to travel to Russia is still not clear, and given the secrecy within the investigation, police cannot say anything more about it for now. Indications suggest that Russia could be his possible final destination.

For now, it's unclear whether the boy intends to travel all the way eastward by bicycle. In the meantime, he may also be using the train and hitchhiking as well. "You name it. You can do anything on the way: continue cycling, hitchhiking, taking the train, we don't know, every trace is missing," a police spokesman told NOS in a comment.

It appears that the teenager thoroughly prepared his trip. "But it remains worrisome for a boy of 14," the police stressed. Tips remain welcome from police.

No Amber Alert?

No Amber Alert was sent in the disappearance case because such an alert is intended primarily when a child is in mortal danger due to a crime. And that does not appear to be the case here. Moreover, the search is focused on foreign countries, where an Amber Alert cannot be sent.

©Tao Yuan via Unsplash