Cops search river and man arrested after woman, 27, disappeared 17 years ago
COPS are searching a river in connection with the disappearance of a woman who vanished 17 years ago.
Malgorzata Wnuczek, who was 27 at the time, was last seen catching a bus into Leicester city centre on May 31, 2006.
The mum vanished and has not been in contact with her family since.
Detectives have said her “whereabouts remain unknown” – but specialists are now searching the River Soar in Leicester.
A man, 39, has also been arrested in Greater Manchester on suspicion of assisting an offender and of perverting the course of justice.
Police are now reaching out to the Polish community, and anyone who might now something, for help.
A spokesman for Leicstershire Police said: “The last contact Malgorzata had with her family, who affectionately referred to her as Gosia, was via text message on May 29 2006.
“Despite a re-appeal from both her loved ones and police in 2016 – 10 years on from when she was last seen – her whereabouts remain unknown.
“Officers from the East Midlands Special Operations Unit (EMSOU) have been continuing to work in partnership with policing colleagues from Malgorzata’s native Poland and today specialist teams are carrying out a search of the River Soar, around the area of the Mill Lane bridge.
“A 39-year-old man has also been arrested in the Greater Manchester area on suspicion of assisting an offender and perverting the course of justice.
“Detectives believe there may be people within Leicester’s Polish community who know what happened to her.”
Detective Inspector Jenni Heggs, leading the investigation, added: “Malgorzata was 27 when she was last seen. Two days ago it was her 44th birthday.
“Officers both in the UK and in Poland have remained in contact with her family since she was last seen.
“Following information provided to us by our Polish colleagues, we are carrying out a search of the River Soar in the hope we might find something that can help us to establish Malgorzata’s whereabouts.
“Since the investigation began, more than 2,000 potential witnesses have raised more than 2,500 lines of enquiry, with more than 100 statements taken.
“But we still do not know where Malgorzata is or what might’ve happened to her.
“However, I firmly believe there are people out there who do. For more than 17 years, her family have lived their lives in darkness and we owe it to them to answer the questions they have.
“I’m making a direct appeal to the people of Leicester – and in particular our Polish community – to come forward if they have any information that could help. You might think what you know is insignificant, but it might just be something that leads us to Malgorzata.
“What have you heard? What do you know? Any details you’re able to provide could be of great importance.”
At the time of Malgorzata’s disappearance, she was working for Peter Jackson Logistics, in Leicester.
Her three-year-old daughter Ola was living in Poland with her grandparents.
A £10,000 reward offered by police in 2016 for information only saw seven people respond.
The force have had no new lines of enquiries since.