New searches are being carried out in Portugal as part of the investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, a British child who went missing while on vacation with her parents more than 18 years ago.
Police officers were combing an area near the Praia da Luz resort in Portugal’s southern Algarve region, where Madeleine, then three years old, was last seen in May 2007.
The Polícia Judiciária, Portugal’s main national criminal investigation agency, said the operation was prompted by a legal order issued by German authorities who are investigating a German man, Christian Brückner, whom they believe may have killed Madeleine.
The searches began on Monday and were scheduled to end on Friday, a statement said, adding: “All evidence seized by the Polícia Judiciária will be handed over to agents of the German Federal Criminal Police Service, subject to prior authorization from the national Public Prosecutor’s Office.”
The Metropolitan Police, which led the original investigation into Madeleine’s disappearance, said they were aware of the searches but were not present at the scene and would assist if necessary.
Mr. Brückner, 48, is the main suspect in the case. He is serving a seven-year prison sentence in Germany for the rape of a 72-year-old American woman in Praia da Luz in 2005.
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