Police use radar for major new search for Madeleine McCann's body as suspect release looms

Daily Record

2 days ago

A new search for the body of Madeleine McCann is underway in Praia da Luz, Portugal, as police race against time to bring charges against the prime suspect
A significant new hunt for Madeleine McCann's remains commenced today in Praia da Luz, Portugal, with authorities eager to press charges against the lead suspect.
Specialists from Germany's Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA), known as the country's version of the FBI, have converged on the coastal town equipped with sophisticated ground-penetrating radar that can explore up to 15 feet beneath the ground, The Sun has disclosed. They're operating based on information received and surmise that this endeavour may represent their last opportunity to uncover crucial forensic evidence.
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"It's now or never," a source stated unequivocally.
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The detectives are zeroing in on substantial earthworks conducted around the time Madeleine disappeared at the age of three from her family's Ocean Club holiday flat in May 2007. There is a suspicion that her body or personal belongings, such as her nightwear, could have been concealed in trenches in the vicinity.
Approximately 30 German officers were observed setting up marquees and cordoning off streets in Atalaia, just outside Praia da Luz. The search will also extend to a cottage located roughly half a mile from the resort, previously utilised by Christian Brueckner, who is at the forefront of the investigation, reports the Express.
Presently imprisoned in Germany for assaulting an American woman in 2005 within the same area, Brueckner is strenuously connected to the McCann case.
The area, previously a known shortcut for Brueckner, also connects to the property where the 2005 rape took place. Sources indicate that while Brueckner did not reside at the cottage in May 2007, he is believed to have been a frequent visitor.
A joint investigation by The Sun and Channel 4 has unearthed unsettling new evidence and locations connected to Brueckner.
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"German cops know it is now or never so they need to push ahead with every credible tip they have," said a source close to the investigation. "Following Brueckner's trial last year someone contacted them with theories on where anyone who took Madeleine might have dumped her, or her clothes.
"They told cops about trenches that were dug in Praia at the time Madeleine disappeared - and the house where Brueckner had lived on the edge of the village.
"Of course, all these places have been searched over and over again - but now they have a new weapon in their ground-scanning radar."
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The insider continued: "With time running out they are praying they get a breakthrough."
There is no involvement from British police in the current operation, which is the first official police activity in Portugal since the Arade Dam, located about 30 miles away, was searched in 2023. That search involved collecting soil samples but did not produce any definitive evidence.
There are unconfirmed reports suggesting that German police were sent photographs from an informant, detailing specific areas in Praia da Luz where Madeleine might be buried, or where belongings linked to her may have been hidden.
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Christian Brueckner, 48, who is currently the sole named suspect, has repeatedly proclaimed his innocence, despite German detectives eagerly awaiting new forensic evidence with his release date looming on 17 September. The investigation has been hampered by his refusal to divulge information about a cryptic 30-minute phone call placed near the McCanns' flat on the night of Madeleine's disappearance.
Authorities have stated that the identity of the individual on the other end of that phone call has never been established, and Brueckner remains tight-lipped on the subject.
An insider from the Portuguese police has acknowledged: "These will be land searches only. The main objective is to look for any signs of Madeleine's body."
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The Policia Judiciaria of Portugal has expressed its cooperation in the ongoing search, which is being aided by a warrant from the Braunschweig public prosecutor's office. The authority commented: "This is conducting preliminary proceedings against a German citizen suspected of the murder of British citizen Madeleine Beth McCann, who disappeared from a holiday resort in Praia da Luz on 3 May 2007."
Moreover, they added: "All the evidence seized by the PJ will, with the prior authorisation of the national Public Prosecutor's Office, be handed over to the agents of the German Federal Criminal Police Service."
Kate and Gerry McCann from Rothley, Leicestershire, the parents of Madeleine McCann, have tirelessly pushed for the investigation into their daughter's disappearance to stay active.
In a past court proceeding, Brueckner was cleared of separate sexual offence charges in Portugal, yet detectives are still persuaded he has a connection to the Madeleine McCann case.
The Metropolitan Police affirmed: "We are aware of the searches in Portugal and will support our international colleagues where necessary."