When 23-year-old Grace Lin vanished during a solo backpacking trip in Thailand, her family feared the worst.
She was last seen leaving a hostel in Chiang Mai, smiling at the front desk camera, wearing a red sundress and carrying a single daypack. That was 72 days ago.
Now, authorities have confirmed she has been found—more than 4,000 miles away—in police custody in Istanbul, Turkey.
And the details are only getting darker.
Turkish officials confirmed via state-run Anadolu Agency that Grace was arrested at Istanbul Airport after attempting to board a flight to Frankfurt with falsified documents and a male companion believed to be part of a human trafficking ring.
“This is not just a missing persons case anymore,” said Interpol spokesperson Aylin Kurt. “We are now looking at a larger international crime operation involving multiple countries.”
According to a report from BBC News, Grace appeared malnourished, disoriented, and refused to speak for several hours after being taken into custody. She is now under protective care and has reportedly been reunited with diplomatic officials from the U.S. embassy in Ankara.
“We’re just relieved she’s alive,” said her mother, Diane Lin, in an emotional press statement issued via CNN. “But what she’s been through—we can’t even imagine.”
Initial investigations suggest that Grace may have been manipulated or coerced shortly after arriving in Thailand, possibly through a dating app scam or a fake job offer. She was allegedly moved through a smuggling route from Thailand to Laos, then flown into the Middle East using forged papers.
Interpol has now issued warrants for at least three suspects linked to her movements. One of them is a Serbian national already wanted for trafficking minors through Southeast Asia.
Sky News reports that Grace may have been targeted due to her dual citizenship and language skills, which made her valuable to certain criminal operations.
“We believe she was groomed,” said Turkish police official Baran Demir. “This wasn’t a random disappearance—it was orchestrated.”
Her arrest made headlines in Turkish media after leaked CCTV footage showed her being pulled aside by border agents at the airport while the man beside her fled the terminal.
The footage quickly circulated online under the hashtag #FindGraceLin, which has since transformed into an outpouring of support—and fury.
“This could have ended in a morgue,” one tweet read. “Instead, it ends in handcuffs and heartbreak.”
The U.S. State Department has confirmed its involvement and is currently arranging for her medical care and safe repatriation. A statement released said: “We are in close contact with Turkish and Thai authorities. The investigation is ongoing.”
Back home in Seattle, Grace’s friends held a candlelight vigil, now turned celebration, after learning of her survival.
“I thought we’d never see her again,” said college roommate Jasmine Ng in a KOMO News interview. “Now we just want to hug her—and help her heal.”
But serious questions remain.
Why was she moved through so many countries?
Who was the man she was caught with?
And why has no one from her travel group come forward?
The Guardian reports that Thai authorities are now under scrutiny for failing to issue an alert sooner. Grace’s family claims they had to pressure officials for weeks before the case was escalated to international agencies.
“There were delays. There were missed signs,” said attorney Leah Goldstein. “This didn’t have to go on this long.”
As for Grace, she is now being kept in a secure medical facility in Ankara, guarded by U.S. consular staff.
“She’s exhausted. She’s scared. But she’s safe,” one official confirmed via NBC News.
The road to recovery will be long.
But the mystery of her disappearance may finally be coming to light.
