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Huge search operation for man and two children last seen driving through seaside town as cops hunt missing car

Huge search operation for man and two children last seen driving through seaside town as cops hunt missing car

The Irish Sun21-05-2025

COPS are desperately searching for a man and his two children - last seen speeding through a major seaside town.
Authorities are concerned over the welfare of the passengers and have sent out a police helicopter to help them in their search.
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Police are searching for black Nissan Qashqai
Credit: Alamy
The car has sped through East Cornwall and has been seen in the Calstock, Lifton and Bude areas.
It was last seen at 7pm on May 20 in Kilkhampton.

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Read Madeleine McCann prime suspect Christian Brueckner's sick letter in full – including chilling ‘no body' gloat
Read Madeleine McCann prime suspect Christian Brueckner's sick letter in full – including chilling ‘no body' gloat

The Irish Sun

time10 hours ago

  • The Irish Sun

Read Madeleine McCann prime suspect Christian Brueckner's sick letter in full – including chilling ‘no body' gloat

A LETTER written by prime Madeleine McCann suspect Christian Brueckner has been exposed, with the sex fiend goading cops by saying: 'Is there a body? No, no no.' The German paedophile bragged in the bombshell letter that cops Advertisement 12 Christian Brueckner letter in which he brags about police never being able to pin the case on him 12 Madeleine McCann prime suspect Christian Brueckner arrives in court in Braunschweig, Germany last year Credit: Dan Charity 12 Madeleine McCann who has been missing since 2007 Credit: Alamy He wrote: 'It is the important questions, the decisive questions that can never be answered. 'Was I or my vehicle clearly seen near the crime scene on the night of the crime? 'Is there DNA evidence of me at the crime scene? Are there DNA traces of the injured party in my vehicle? 'Are there other traces/DNA carriers of the injured party in my possession? Photos?" Advertisement read more on madeleine Brueckner - He wrote: 'You know, of course, that in Germany you don't have to prove your innocence as a suspect, but that the public prosecutor's office has to prove that you are clearly guilty. 'Even the slightest doubt leads to an acquittal, if there is a court hearing at all.' Brueckner even claims the case against him is built on 'purchased witnesses' and reveals his awareness of his global notoriety. Advertisement Most read in The Sun Breaking He wrote: 'Now, my path is paved with misjudgements, so to speak, but from now on the whole world is watching. 'Not even the Braunschweig regional court will now dare to make an obvious misjudgement. 'Even if an attempt is currently being made to create a shocking overall picture of me through purchased witnesses, it is the important questions, the decisive questions that can never be answered with 'yes'. Madeleine McCann cops call off search as trawl of Brueckner's 'rat run' turns up nothing "And, not to forget, is there a body/corpse? All no, no no.' Advertisement He adds: 'You don't have to be a realist like me to predict that the accusations made against me will not hold up and that the investigation will be dropped.' In another letter seen by The Sun, Brueckner described how he used his He wrote: 'Do you know that I was a drug dealer at that time in 2007? Investigators know this. 'I bought marijuana in Spain and sold it on beaches in the Algarve. Advertisement 'I was never caught by the police because I followed a few principles. 'If possible, only drive during the day so that my battered hippie bus doesn't attract so much attention, only drive the necessary and most importantly, never provoke the police.' He added: 'Together with my dog and a lover at the time I enjoyed the 'temporary hippie life'.' 12 The vile letter emerged as officers desperate to find a forensic link to him flew back to Germany after a new three-day search in Portugal Advertisement 12 German prosecutors are convinced of the predator's guilt 12 Police searching various sites in and around the resort of Praia da Luz Credit: Dan Charity 12 A criminal police investigator inspects an abandoned home in the fresh Madeleine search Credit: Reuters He also whinges he has been framed so he can be scapegoated over the Madeleine case. Advertisement He wrote: 'Right from the start they plotted a miscarriage of justice to make me vanish into thin air. And now half the world knows why.' And he adds: 'I am not exaggerating when I say that 80 per cent of what I have heard from the reports is not true. 'A large proportion of these lies are clearly being spread by the investigating authorities. My words are directed at those who are taking this seriously and are not laughing about it. 'Those who want to understand how brutal the German justice system is in its attempts to hammer through its own law, even if nothing is true.' Advertisement The vile letters emerged as officers Scores of cops painstakingly near Praia da Luz with JCBs, radar and fingertip searches, believing the tot or her pyjamas could have been buried there. German prosecutors are convinced of Brueckner's guilt. It comes just weeks after a Advertisement The disturbing evidence demonstrated Brueckner's obsession with young kids. We revealed he wrote horrifying fantasies about abducting and abusing a blonde toddler — and how this would leave him 'in paradise'. He also boasted in online forums about his desire to 'capture something small and use it for days'. Brueckner remains in prison in Germany where he is serving a seven year term for rape. Advertisement The 48-year-old convicted paedophile faces having his hopes of being released from jail in September scuppered after reportedly being accused of new offences against prison guards behind bars. 12 A recent image of the barn 12 The barn in 2007 appearing to have a tent set up The latest search to find DNA or forensic links on the case appeared to have ended without success on Thursday. Advertisement Police were seen taking fibres by hand while a hole was dug at the site of an apparent tent from around the time of Madeleine's disappearance. However, it was unclear whether the search had found anything with enough potential value to the case to be sent back to Germany for testing. Brueckner had already moved out of his cottage in Praia da Luz when three-year-old Madeleine, from Rothley, Leics, arrived with parents Gerry and Kate and her two-year-old twin siblings. He was living in his car, or wild camping in areas including this week's search site. Advertisement Brueckner's letters "It is the important questions, the decisive questions that can never be answered. 'Was I or my vehicle clearly seen near the crime scene on the night of the crime? 'Is there DNA evidence of me at the crime scene? Are there DNA traces of the injured party in my vehicle? 'Are there other traces/DNA carriers of the injured party in my possession? Photos? 'And, not to forget, is there a body/corpse? All no, no no. 'You don't have to be a realist like me to predict that the accusations made against me will not hold up and that the investigation will be dropped. "You know, of course, that in Germany you don't have to prove your innocence as a suspect, but that the public prosecutor's office has to prove that you are clearly guilty. 'Even the slightest doubt leads to an acquittal, if there is a court hearing at all.' 'Now, my path is paved with misjudgements, so to speak, but from now on the whole world is watching. 'Not even the Braunschweig regional court will now dare to make an obvious misjudgement. 'Even if an attempt is currently being made to create a shocking overall picture of me through purchased witnesses, it is the important questions, the decisive questions that can never be answered with 'yes'. 'Do you know that I was a drug dealer at that time in 2007? Investigators know this. 'I bought marijuana in Spain and sold it on beaches in the Algarve. 'I was never caught by the police because I followed a few principles. 'If possible, only drive during the day so that my battered hippie bus doesn't attract so much attention, only drive the necessary and most importantly, never provoke the police. 'Together with my dog and a lover at the time I enjoyed the 'temporary hippie life'. 'Right from the start they plotted a miscarriage of justice to make me vanish into thin air. And now half the world knows why. 'I am not exaggerating when I say that 80 per cent of what I have heard from the reports is not true. 'A large proportion of these lies are clearly being spread by the investigating authorities. My words are directed at those who are taking this seriously and are not laughing about it. 'Those who want to understand how brutal the German justice system is in its attempts to hammer through its own law, even if nothing is true.' The seeming failure of longshot searches for any traces of Madeleine this week is the latest in a string of blows for the case. German authorities who maintain Madeleine is dead are racing to find a way to keep highly dangerous Brueckner behind bars after he was cleared of rape claims last year. He told this week he plans to 'hide' when he is released, as soon as September 17, taking hopes for the Madeleine case with him. The drifter was jailed in 2019, convicted of the 2005 rape of an American pensioner just streets from the Ocean Club, where the McCanns stayed in Praia da Luz. Advertisement The Sun investigation aired on Channel 4 revealed the existence of computer hard drives which were vital in to persuading investigators of Madeleine's death. Our findings placed Breuckner at key Madeleine search location the Arades Dam, in Portugal. And a document puts him at the location — where he allegedly said 'she did not scream' as he discussed her with an associate. In the online message where he brags to another sicko that he really wanted to 'capture something small' he adds it would not matter 'if the evidence is destroyed afterwards'. Advertisement German investigators last night remained hopeful British police might rejoin the investigation as an active inquiry. 12 One of the derelict and abandoned properties close to Praia da Luz, Portugal Credit: PA 12 Police searching various sites in and around the resort Credit: Dan Charity 12 Search teams use a backhoe close to Praia da Luz Credit: PA Advertisement

‘Pupils ran out in tears' – Dublin school ‘devastated' after two ‘popular' school children deported to Nigeria
‘Pupils ran out in tears' – Dublin school ‘devastated' after two ‘popular' school children deported to Nigeria

The Irish Sun

time17 hours ago

  • The Irish Sun

‘Pupils ran out in tears' – Dublin school ‘devastated' after two ‘popular' school children deported to Nigeria

AN Irish school attended by two brothers who were among 35 people deported to Nigeria say they have been left "devastated" in the wake of the event. The two were part of a group made up of 21 men, nine women, and five 3 The deportations came as part of an ongoing Garda operation Credit: Alamy 3 The recent charter flight was the third of its kind this year Credit: alamy They were But principal of St James's Primary School in Ciaran Cronin told He opined that to "spring" deportations on children who thought they had an immigration appointment is "very cruel". READ MORE IN IRISH NEWS Cronin said other children had witnessed the two boys' belongings being packed up from their hotel rooms and put on a bus. He explained: "On Wednesday morning they all came to school completely distressed, upset, visibly shaken by what they had seen at the hotel in the morning. "They came to "We had been in touch with the mother for a long time, knowing that they were going through the deportation process." MOST READ ON THE IRISH SUN Cronin added that the primary school had been advocating on the 32 people deported to Georgia from Ireland on chartered flight as Minister in 'robust & enforced' immigration laws vow He claimed that they had put in character references for the boys explaining that they wanted them to be let stay in the school. But, he explained: "On Wednesday morning, when the children came in, we kind of knew it's the end of the line for them, unfortunately." Cronin went on to say that the two boys were "really popular" in school. He said: "They were part of the football team. They played the Cumann na mBunscol "Had loads of friends and got on really well with everyone." He described the two children's deportation as "a huge loss" to the school. And he added that teachers had to explain to the other pupils in the school that the boys weren't coming back. 'THEY'VE LOST THEIR FRIENDS' He explained: "At home time yesterday pupils ran out in tears telling their "They've lost their friends, they're looking to see if they have their WhatsApp, that they can contact them, and they haven't been able to make contact with them since." He told RTE's "This cannot happen again. All of this can be done better." The National Immigration Bureau confirmed yesterday that it continues to work with the Department of Justice on enforcing immigration policy. 'CLEAR MESSAGE' A spokesperson for the force said: "An Garda Siochana continues to work closely with the Department of Justice in implementing immigration policy." The Justice Department had previously said that they carry out deportations as a "last resort" when people have not left the country voluntarily. Minister for Justice He said: "Ireland has a rules-based immigration system. It is important that those rules are robust and enforced. "The return of people whose applications have been refused and deportation orders have issued is the foundation of any modern rules-based immigration process. "People coming to Ireland must follow the appropriate pathways for legal migration and these pathways must be adhered to and protected for our immigration system to work fairly and effectively. "If a person's application for international protection is refused and they are ordered to leave the State they must do so." 3 The principal of St James' Primary School called the event "a huge loss" Credit: Google

I was banged up in hellhole prison like Brit drug mules & preyed on by pervy guards… sick ways they break female inmates
I was banged up in hellhole prison like Brit drug mules & preyed on by pervy guards… sick ways they break female inmates

The Irish Sun

time20 hours ago

  • The Irish Sun

I was banged up in hellhole prison like Brit drug mules & preyed on by pervy guards… sick ways they break female inmates

HANDCUFFED to a chair and sweating profusely in a puffer jacket, Alana Moor was terrified she'd never be allowed to go home. The 24-year-old was due to fly back home to Canada from 17 Alana was given the suitcase containing drugs by people she trusted Credit: Supplied 17 She spent seven years in a crowded prison in Panama Credit: Supplied 17 She claims up to 60 women would be held in one cramped cell Credit: Alamy People she'd considered friends had persuaded her to take a suitcase, which contained 11 kilos of cocaine stashed in the lining. Alana - who was sentenced to six years and nine months for her crime - says she was detained in a stinking prison cell where she was deprived of all basic necessities and preyed on by pervy male prison guards. So she understands only too well the horror that alleged Brit drug mules In an exclusive chat Alana, now 38, tells The Sun: 'I was scared for my life as two armed officers put me into the back of a rickety truck. 'I didn't know where I was going, and I was terrified I was going to be raped or something. 'After a while, they pulled up to this police station with a prison attached. 'Once there I was strapped to a chair in the clothes I had planned to travel home in - winter items. 'They left me there for days, nowhere to go to the loo, wash, or not even allowed to take off a layer. It was humiliating. "I had to wipe myself with my hand when I went to the loo where I was sat. 'When the guard came to unchain me, he retched at the smell of me. Brits accused of trying to smuggle drugs into the UK from abroad are being locked away for a long time 'Just two weeks before I had been partying with NBA stars.' She had been taken under the wing of the woman - who claimed to work for a famous US music star in Toronto. Alana says the woman, who' d become a friend, promised to introduce her to celebrities that could become potential clients - on the condition she took a holiday to Panama to pick up a suitcase and bring it back to Canada for the musician. Alana claims they promised to get her out of Panama safely if anything went wrong because they had top lawyers. 17 Alana spent her sentence in a jail that often had power outages and poor sanitation Credit: Getty 17 Alana claims prison officers often treated the women badly Credit: AFP She admits she suspected the suitcase contained something illegal, telling The Sun she thought it was likely drugs, passports or cash. The friend promised Alana that on her return she'd be introduced to the music mogul and become their stylist. But her dream was shattered when border officers found the cocaine stash hidden in the suitcase lining. Alana says she was strip-searched at the airport and made to watch as cops pulled out the packages, which she'd naively thought was insulation. She was then handed a form in Spanish and told by a translator to cooperate and sign it - but later discovered it confirmed everything in the case was hers. In the first Panama prison she was detained in, Alana says they sent one meal, a bottle of water and a can of Coke, and claims it was the only food she was given while shackled to the chair. She was later moved to an all-female prison to await her court date. Violent offenders After being handed a six year, nine-month sentence, Alana was moved to an overcrowded female prison in the centre of Panama. When she arrived at the jail, she says there were 26 women to one cramped room. By the time she left that number was closer to 60. Many were in prison for murder and other violent offences. But the majority had been caught with drugs and arrested to show officials were taking an active stance in the war on drugs. 'Prison in Panama is nothing like prison in the US, Canada or the UK,' she says. 'As I was being taken in, the guard said to me, 'There are laws in this country, but as soon as you cross these bars, the laws don't apply'. 17 Alana uses her experience to provide incarcerated women with basic hygiene packages Credit: Supplied 'I had nothing given to me, just the clothes I was wearing. I had to shower with laundry detergent for the first two weeks. 'I wasn't given any underwear, no toilet paper or sanitary products. When I got my period I had to free bleed, with blood soaking my clothes as I went about my day. 'Guards and other inmates would tell me I smelt like blood, but there was nothing I could do. No woman should ever be put in that position.' Thankfully Alana's parents were allowed to visit and could bring supplies and money for her to buy things she needed - but she says that didn't always make things better. 'Depending on who was guarding when we were sent outside for work, sometimes we wouldn't be allowed back in to use the bathroom," she recalls. 'And when I was on my period, that would mean I used to have to just bleed through whatever sanitary product I was wearing. It was vile.' Horrifying searches Alana claims it was common for prison guards to randomly search cells in the middle of the night or early hours of the morning to try to seize phones or drugs that had been brought into the prison. Often these raids came with humiliating strip searches for the women. 'One morning, 80 balaclava-wearing officers burst in and sprayed us with pepper spray,' she recalls. 'I was in my underwear. They took people out to be strip searched." I'd find notes in my stuff from the male guards telling me I was pretty or that they wanted me to be their girlfriend. Alana Moor Alana claims she was made to bend over and officers pointed to her tampon string, demanding she remove it. 'I tried to refuse, but they didn't care," she says. "I was then made to sit in the corner of the cell while they searched it for 45 minutes holding this bloody tampon in my hand while bleeding everywhere. 'Six male officers watched me as I left the room and then sat where I was told. It was horrendous and inhumane.' Indecent propositions 17 Alana claims officers would target her because she was a foreigner Credit: Getty 17 Male officers also brazenly attempted to woo girls they were supposed to be guarding, Alana claims. 'Often after raids I'd find notes in my stuff from the male guards telling me I was pretty or that they wanted me to be their girlfriend,' Alana says. 'They'd leave their phone number because they knew we had mobiles. I was often targeted for being the 'white gringo' in the prison.' Alana says having a mobile phone was commonplace, and hiding them became a lucrative business for inmates. Everyone was hustling to try to make money. Drugs were dropped of at night by gangs. Alana Moor Women would be paid $100 to put them in intimate places to stop them being taken, with Alana claiming some girls fit "up to five" in their private parts. 'Everyone was hustling to try to make money," she says. 'Drugs were also common. They'd be dropped in at night by gangs who would post them through the tiny letter box windows in the concrete jail.' Vile conditions 17 Alana says facilities in the prison were poor and rarely worked for several days Credit: Getty Alana claims it was common for power and water at the prison to fail for days on end, leaving them without showers or facilities to wash. 'We'd be having to put our excrement in bin bags because we couldn't flush the toilets,' she recalls. 'Then we'd be given a bucket of water to shower with for the days the power was out. This was all while it was extremely hot. 'It just wasn't sanitary. I'd get sick a lot because the water wasn't particularly clean. I had to beg and pay to get purified water. There are just layers and layers of trauma being piled onto you when you're inside. They treat you like you're nothing. Alana Moor 'Often the food we were given was rotten, but you had to eat it in order to survive. 'There are just layers and layers of trauma being piled onto you when you're inside. They treat you like you're nothing.' Alana used her prison time to do every course she could, even teaching herself Spanish. She also worked out for two hours every day and helped teach other women how to exercise to keep themselves fit. Warning to Brit drug mules 17 Bella Culley was arrested in Georgia for smuggling cannabis from Thailand Credit: East2West 17 Bella is being held in an all-female prison near Tbilisi called Penitentiary No 5 Credit: . 17 A view inside the prison where Bella is being held and could remain for decades Credit: Linkedin 17 Former air hostess Charlotte May Lee is accused of smuggling £1.2million of cannabis into Sri Lanka Credit: Instagram 17 The prison where Charlotte faces being locked up is reported to be infested with maggots and rats 17 The infamous Welikada Prison is said to be "hell" for female inmates especially 17 Cameron Bradford is being held in Germany Now she is a motivational speaker and offers dignity packages to women who find themselves in prison, and helps families advocate for drug mules in similar situations. Alana is horrified by the growing number of young British women who have recently been caught attempting to smuggle drugs. Former air hostess This week it emerged Alana says: 'I feel so sad for them, but the best thing they can do now is take accountability for their actions, as hard as that is. 'It's easy to blame other people, but you've made this decision. The best and worst thing about prison is time, so use that time wisely. "The end goal is to come out better than you went in. 'For their parents, support and love your child. They need you now more than ever. "They know they've made a mistake, and getting mad at them won't make that any better. "I will be reaching out to their families to offer help and support in any way I can.' Why Brit backpackers are prime targets, Thai cop reveals By Patrick Harrington Police Lieutenant Colonel Arun Musikim, Deputy Inspector of the Surat Thani province police force, said: 'Cases involving British nationals smuggling cannabis have been around for a while. 'There is a lot of cannabis grown on Thailand's islands in the south because the climate is suitable and it is legal. A lot of gangs are attracted to this. 'There are now various smuggling methods that we have seen. Some carry it themselves, some hire backpackers, and some send it via mail. 'This year, there have been many cases we have intercepted. Most involve British and Malaysian nationals. 'It's easy for British citizens to travel as they can enter Thailand and return to the UK without needing a visa. 'Most of the smugglers are people hired to carry the cannabis, similar to how tourists might smuggle tax-free goods. 'They're usually unemployed individuals from the UK. The gangs offer them flights, pocket money and hotel stays, just to come and travel and take a bag back home with them. 'These people often have poor social standing at home and are looking for ways to earn quick money. They find them through friends or on social media. 'Many will go to festivals or parties while they are here, just like they are having a normal trip abroad. 'They are told that it is easy and they will not be caught. Then the amount the organisers can sell the cannabis for in the UK is much higher than it costs in Thailand. 'Police suspect that there are multiple employers and groups receiving the drugs on the other end. The cannabis then enters the UK market. 'We are being vigilant to ensure there are no routes out of the country.' 17

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