MURDER Squad detectives are now involved in the hunt for student Tobiasz Minski.
And the canal at Slaithwaite was drained yesterday as the search took a further dramatic twist.
Officers from West Yorkshire’s Homicide and Murder Enquiry Team have taken over the investigation, just over three weeks after the popular 23-year-old Polish student vanished after a night out in Huddersfield town centre.
They arrested two Huddersfield men aged 24 and 26 on Thursday night.
The men remain in police custody and are being quizzed over Tobiasz’s disappearance.
The police had been searching in Slaithwaite and an underwater search unit was seen in the village yesterday morning, draining and then searching Huddersfield Narrow Canal.
Officers had also been searching in Crosland Moor and Lepton.
The move to involve the Homicide and Major Enquiry Team was welcomed by Tobiasz’s long-term girlfriend, 20-year-old Malgorzata Brychcy, who felt the investigation had been too slow from the start.
“It shows we are now being taken seriously,’’ she said. “They are listening to what we are saying that something bad has happened.’’
The couple came from the town of Poznan in Poland to study at Huddersfield University.
Tobiasz’s mother, 55-year-old Hanna Minska, has flown to the UK and put up a £5,000 reward for her son’s safe return – but it has reaped no breakthrough.
Tobiasz disappeared in the early hours of Friday, November 9, after a night out.
Just before 5am he got in a white taxi with two men who are possibly strangers to him.
He also withdrew £120 during the evening.
The taxi was last seen heading up Westgate. It is thought it turned left on to the ring road and so could have headed towards the Colne Valley.
The car is a white hackney cab with a sign on top. It looks to be either a VW Bora or Passat, or possibly a Skoda.
Police still want to trace the driver.
Anyone who has any information should contact police on 0845 6060606 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
