my brother is missing

[oopsanta]

He lives in Amsterdam. Last year he had some sort of fight with his girlfroend and wanted to come home. he was lent some money by family and then didn't come home..
He sent my Mum a card for her birthday in May.
That's the last we have heard of him. None of his e-mail accounts seem to be working, his phone is unanswered, nothing.
How do we start looking for him?
We had sort of decided that if he hadn't made contact by christmas we would start worrying.
So now what? Anybody had experience of tracing a missing person in another country??

No experience at all oopsanta, just wanted to say how sorry I am, you must all be frantic with worry, I hope you find him soon.

Do you know any of his friends?

Bloody hell oopsanta, how awful for you and your family

No experience of this, but I do know that the Big Issue has a missing persons section in it every week, so that may be worth a try.

How awful for you all oopsanta. The only thing I can think of right now is
the missing persons helpline
they have information about searching internationally.

weirdly this posted twice.
We don't really know any of the amsterdam friends. I've googled him an can see a few reviews of a gig he staged a couple of yrs ago and some reviews I reckon he wrote on amazon for soem games, but the last one for this was march 2004.
if he has died do you think we would know? Amsterdam is not the ends of the earth.
Would we be told if he'd gone to prison? (he was talking about some dodgy things last time we spoke- nuff said on here tho!)
He's just the sort of person to hide his head in the sand if the shit is hitting the fan. poor mother is getting a bit worried .
thanks for replies on both threads. i suppose we have to contact police or embassy or something in the new yr

Do you know if he has up to date names and addresses as emergency contacts in his passport?

Was he a bit druggy, oopsanta? Might he be in prison somewhere?

well, why do people go to amsterdam? he's a real teccie/muso/chillin' kind of person.
I'm a long lost rellie as I was adopted, but met this bit of my family about 6 yrs ago.
We got on really well, especially brother and me. i can understand that he has his tail between his legs about the money he was lent to come home - which he hasn't apid back or come home!
But it is just strange for him not to send a card or e-mail or something. Apart form just forgetting CHristmas-I suppose actually the best thing would be if he was in prison- I dread to think of any of the other things that may have happened.
He was possibly doing something pretty illegal, but not particularly bad - sort of- ie not hurting anyone but aiding and abetting people breaking the law.

So the amazon reviews were Mar 2004, and the card for your mum was May, and nothing since, and nobody you can check with?

I think I would go to Amsterdam police....

Try not to get despondent yet. It is only the early hours of Christmas eve. He might phone tomorrow. Let's hope so.

have you checked with international directorie enquiries - or would he not have his own phone no.? Have you tried his ex-girlfriend?