Last seen in Hong Kong, 30-year-old Canadian Ani Ashekian has now been out of contact with her friends and family for nearly two months.
Ani arrived in Beijing on October 25th to start her travels through China, SE Asia and on to India. According to the MISSING: Ani Ashekian Facebook group, “She then flew to Hong Kong on November 9th. On November 10th, she made several withdrawals and sent a text message home. She has not used her Visa card or her bank card since that day.”
An avid traveller, Ani always kept close contact with home through calls and e-mails – when they stopped abruptly, everyone began to worry.
The Toronto Star reports:
Walsh and the family have contacted the Canadian government and police in Hong Kong. They have been told that there is no record of her using her passport to leave Hong Kong.
Her bank records show that her credit card was used on Nov. 10 to take out a large cash advance at an ATM in a subway station in Causeway Bay, a shopping area in Hong Kong, said Kampstra. Since then, the card hasn’t been used.
The family is raising money to hire a private investigator and Walsh is hoping to fly to Hong Kong to encourage the local media to pick up the story.
CCTV at the bank ATM have since confirmed it was Ani who withdrew the money.
Description of Ani Ashekian
Age: 30
Height: 5’4″ – 163 cm
Weight: 120 pounds – 55 kg. Athletic build
Hair: Brown – Long – May be curly or straight
Eyes: Brown
She was traveling with a black and blue backpack. Last seen in a white T-shirt.
If you have any information about Ani, e-mail findaniashekian@gmail.com. Also, Ani’s family and friends are looking for volunteers to help out in Hong Kong. If you’re located there, be sure to e-mail the address above, or visit the MISSING: Ani Ashekian Facebook group.
Wow….horrible and scary. Here’s hoping they find her safe and sound.
I am afraid that she is no longer with us. Rest in peace.
Jake, do you have new information?
I think Jake’s comment should be interpreted as a fear for Ani’s safety.
I think that Jake’s comment is uncalled for. What if it was your sister?? How would you feel??
I think Jake’s comment is being misconstrued here. It is definitely open to interpretation.
Jake.. unless you know something then i suggest you keep the comments to factual ones.
Otherwise your comment can be traced to your IP and authorities notified if you feel you know something.
Thousands of people around the world believe she is fine and continue to search for her. I guess Jake really had to (Say something… pessimistic or not…he ends up saying anything) but something of practical significance.
I also think Jake’s comment was totally unnecessary!! Just think if that was a friend of yours, or a family member… Ani is a good friend of mine (we worked together) and I am certain that she will come home soon, safe and sound. My prayers are with her family!!
I am not liking what this jake guy is saying. I think his comment should maybe be looked into further.
May God give Ani, as well as her family, the strength to get through this.
Wow…Jake posts a comment which is most likely true and people here jump on him like he killed the woman.
How do you people think? What are your thought processes?
Ani has been missing for months. The last time she was seen was in Hong Kong, a place surrounded by water, and full of dangers from criminals that prey on naive travelers. It is quite obvious that she has met with foul play, is hiding out, or had some tragic accident and her body has not been found yet.
In this day and age, it is almost impossible for law-abiding travelers to cross frontiers or enter another country without having their passport scanned.
If Ani had left Hong Kong, the police would quickly know when she left and where she went.
Jake states his opinion probably based on his knowledge of the aforementioned.
However, some of you creeps start accusing him of being involved in the woman’s disappearance.
What the hell is wrong with you people!
Jake is a realist.
Those who condemn him for his remarks are living in some kind of weird delusional cloud cuckoo land of your own.
Attack at will…you will. Sheep.
Jake is a realist??? Judging by the date of the initial comment posted by Jake the 1st, I think his comment resembled premature over realism. (She had not been missing for months at that point). I believe his only excuse for posting an otherwise idiotic comment with no basis of facts may have been inspired by the tagline afforded to him (Say something…anything) by this site. As for Jake the Realist, I’d wonder how reality would sink in had this been a loved one of yours. Quite brave to call people sheep over the internet, discarding all consideration for others who may be injured by your ignorant comment(s), furthered by your desire to cloak them as realism. The reality is if you know something, ie. you post “I am afraid that she is no longer with us. Rest in peace.” You should be able to base such a confident statement on a certain degree of facts. Otherwise rephrase. If you cannot, your unsubstantial comment(s) remain baseless and useless at the least, and harsh and suspicious at the most. I think Jake is harmless beyond insulting peoples hopes in finding Ani and wasting space generally. Just a stupid comment that shouldn’t have been made. As for him being a realist, I think the desire to be real here should be based again on something more than “this day in age” etc. So Jake the 1st and Jake the Realist is, if you’re true intent is to help, and as long as Ani is not found, playing psychic and supporter of seems a useless way to support the process in any manner. The least you can do is be considerate and not spew pessimistic ignorance in a podium which may have greater aims than that shown by you. Please do not equate premature and pessimistic ignorance with a false desire to be, or to appear to be realistic. Thanks, and lets hope you allow your silly comments to rest in peace.
Jake and Jakeisarealist (probably both actually just jake), you’re a coward, your words are intended to cause pain from afar. Those aren’t realistic ideas, they’re sociopathic utterances. I really hope someone has taken a look into your life, with all of the information available regarding Ani, it’s possible that the people or person who has taken her, or done her harm has seen it and has decided to reply to help alleviate some sense of guilt(?). You try and defend yourself by saying there’s something wrong with people holding hope. While there is a possibility that something horrible has happened, it’s simply a possibility, and I’m assuming you have no actual training in finding lost persons, so your unqualified opinion is unwarranted and uncalled for, and what’s worse it’s intent was to cause harm. Your “freind” there, jakeisarealist, and you both opened yourselves up for any sort of suspicion or derision to be poured upon you. So what’s wrong with the rest of us you ask? You are, and people like you. I wish you and ani could switch places, wherever she may be, i wish you had to answer to her when she comes back to Canada, alive and well.