German and Portuguese police have begun a fresh search operation in Portugal as part of ongoing efforts to solve the 17-year-old mystery of Madeleine McCann’s disappearance.
The operation, which began on Monday, is taking place in the municipality of Lagos, close to Praia da Luz—the resort town in the Algarve where Madeleine, then three years old, vanished from her family’s holiday apartment on May 3, 2007.
Portuguese authorities confirmed that the search will run from June 2 to June 6, following formal requests from German prosecutors who are currently leading the investigation.
In 2020, German investigators named Christian Brückner, a 48-year-old convicted sex offender, as the prime suspect in the case.
Brückner is currently serving a prison sentence in Germany for the rape of a 72-year-old woman in Portugal in 2005.
Although he has been formally declared an “arguido” (suspect) by Portuguese authorities, no charges related to Madeleine’s disappearance have been filed due to insufficient evidence.
Brückner has consistently denied any involvement.
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According to reports, the current search will concentrate on an area between the Ocean Club resort—where the McCann family was staying—and a property once occupied by Brückner.
He is believed to have lived in the Algarve region between 2000 and 2017 and is suspected of having worked occasionally as a handyman at the Ocean Club.
German authorities told the BBC that “criminal proceedings are currently underway in Portugal” with the full cooperation of Portuguese law enforcement.
Any evidence uncovered during the latest search will be handed over to German investigators.
The UK’s Metropolitan Police, which has been running its own inquiry into the case—Operation Grange—since 2011, confirmed it is aware of the search but is not directly involved.
The current search marks the first major field effort since 2023, when authorities scoured a remote dam site roughly 40 minutes from where Madeleine was last seen.
At the time, photos and videos were discovered showing Brückner in the area around the reservoir.
The night Madeleine disappeared, her parents were dining nearby with friends while she and her younger twin siblings slept in their holiday apartment.
Regular checks were made throughout the evening until her mother, Kate McCann, found her missing around 10 p.m.
Last month, on the 18th anniversary of Madeleine’s disappearance, her parents reiterated their commitment to uncovering the truth, stating their “determination to leave no stone unturned is unwavering.”
Despite recent setbacks, German prosecutors maintain Brückner remains their key suspect in what has become one of the most high-profile missing persons cases in modern history.
