Portuguese police have launched a new search operation in the Algarve region for clues in the 2007 disappearance of British toddler Madeleine McCann. The operation, taking place between June 2 and June 6 in the Municipality of Lagos, follows a formal request from German prosecutors in Braunschweig, according to Portugal’s Judicial Police (PJ).
In a statement released Monday, the PJ confirmed it is executing a European Investigation Order on behalf of German authorities, who have identified German citizen Christian Brueckner as the prime suspect in the case.
Brueckner, currently imprisoned in Germany for unrelated crimes, has not been charged in connection with McCann’s disappearance and continues to deny any involvement.
The latest search effort is centred on an area between Praia da Luz – where McCann vanished in May 2007 while on holiday with her family – and a property previously inhabited by Brueckner at the time of her disappearance. According to reports from CNN Portugal and Germany’s Bild newspaper, authorities are focusing on uncovering potential evidence, including traces of McCann’s remains.
All material collected during the search will be transferred to Germany’s Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA), the PJ said.
Braunschweig prosecutors confirmed to Reuters that “criminal procedural measures” related to the McCann case are being carried out in Portugal with the involvement of both the BKA and Portuguese law enforcement. However, they declined to provide further details.
The UK’s Metropolitan Police, which has long been involved in the investigation, stated they are aware of the latest developments but are not actively participating in the current search. “We continue to support our international colleagues where necessary,” the force said in a statement.
German authorities declared in 2020 that they believe Madeleine McCann is dead and suspect Brueckner to be responsible. The 47-year-old, a convicted child abuser and drug trafficker, is serving a prison sentence for the rape of a 72-year-old woman in the same Algarve region.
The last significant search related to the case occurred in May 2023 at an inland reservoir in southern Portugal, but it yielded no new evidence.
Eighteen years after her disappearance, the case of Madeleine McCann continues to captivate and confound investigators across Europe.
Images: Supplied
