A major search is underway in Portugal as German investigators renew efforts to uncover evidence in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann—18 years after she vanished without trace.
Search teams have returned to the countryside near Praia da Luz, the resort where three-year-old Madeleine was last seen in 2007. This time, they’re scouring land close to a rundown farmhouse once linked to Christian Brueckner, the convicted sex offender named as the prime suspect in the case.
At least 30 officers from Germany’s Federal Criminal Police (BKA) arrived at the site under heavy security. The operation, requested by German authorities, is expected to last several days and has involved sealing off roads, deploying drones, and using advanced ground-penetrating radar that can scan up to 15 feet below the surface.
Derelict Farmhouse at Centre of New Search
Officers have focused on a derelict hillside property near Atalaia, just miles from the Ocean Club apartment where Madeleine was sleeping with her twin siblings the night she disappeared. Images show teams clearing thick vegetation, draining wells, and digging close to abandoned buildings.
Specialist search units were seen removing soil and checking inside a disused well while firefighters used hoses to empty stagnant water. A no-fly zone has also been imposed over the area to prevent drones from capturing footage of the operation.
Low Expectations—but ‘Substantial’ Tip-Off
Authorities in Portugal have warned of “low expectations” regarding the likelihood of finding new evidence. However, German officers appear determined, acting on what one former police chief called “something substantial”.
Former CEOP head Jim Gamble told media: “One piece of forensic evidence is all they need to finally link Brueckner to this case. That’s what they’re pushing for.”
Brueckner: Still Under Scrutiny
Brueckner, currently serving a seven-year sentence in Germany for raping a pensioner in the Algarve, has denied involvement in Madeleine’s disappearance. In a recent media interview, he claimed he would flee to a country without an extradition treaty if released early.
The latest search comes two years after similar activity at the Arade reservoir, 30 miles away, also at the request of German prosecutors. Those efforts uncovered nothing of significance.
18 Years of Questions
Madeleine disappeared from her family’s holiday apartment while her parents dined nearby. Despite global media coverage, international appeals, and a multi-million-pound investigation, no trace of the child has ever been found.
The operation is due to run until Friday. Detectives remain tight-lipped, but families following the case are once again hoping for a breakthrough in one of the world’s most haunting missing person mysteries.
