By JAMIE BULLEN and NICK PISA IN PORTUGAL

Published: 07:49 BST, 3 June 2025 | Updated: 08:05 BST, 3 June 2025

Police investigating the disappearance of Madeleine McCann will carry out fresh searches today following a tip-off given to German investigators.

Land near the former home of Christian Brueckner, a convicted sex offender named as the prime suspect in Madeleine’s disappearance, will be scoured once again in Portugal.

At least 30 agents from Germany’s FBI, the BKA, arrived at the idyllic resort of Praia da Luz following a tip-off received by investigators to conduct new searches throughout the week.

Madeleine was three years old when she vanished from a holiday apartment complex in the Algarve in May 2007, in what has become one of the highest-profile unsolved missing person cases in the world.

Live updates below 

Madeleine McCann: Toddler who became one of world’s most high-profile missing person cases

The McCanns present a picture of Madeleine during a press conference

FILE - Gerry, left, and Kate McCann, parents of four-year old Madeleine McCann, present a picture of their daughter during a press conference in Berlin, Wednesday, June 6, 2007. (AP Photo/Sven Kaestner, File)

Madeleine McCann was never found after going missing in 2007 from the resort in Praia da Luz where she was with her family in what has become one of the most high-profile missing person cases in history.

For more than a decade, her anguished parents Gerry and Kate have waited in vain for any news – any clue – that their child is somehow alive after all this time.

But none of the tip-offs have turned out to be correct and the main suspect in the case, convicted rapist Christian Brueckner, has still not been charged in connection with Madeleine’s disappearance.

It has been a case filled with false starts and false hopes, with thousands of bogus sightings of Madeleine from Dorset to as far away as New Zealand.

The new ‘weapon’ police will use this week

Police officers participating in today’s searches for Madeleine McCann are equipped with ground-penetrating radar technology that can scan up to 15ft below the surface of the ground.

Described as a ‘new weapon’ in their ground-scanning radar, it means officers will only dig if they detect anything of interest instead of for the sake of it.

More than 20 privately owned pieces of land will be searched including wells, ruins and water storage tanks.

One investigating source told the Sun:

Following Brueckner’s trial last year someone contacted them with theories on where anyone who took Madeleine might’ve dumped her. 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 of these places have been searched over and over again, but now they have a new weapon in their ground-scanning radar. It means they don’t need to dig for the sake of it. But as soon as they spot anything of interest they are ready to excavate and check it.

Pictures: Police prepare searches after arriving in Praia de Luz

**ALL ROUND PICTURES & VIDEO FROM SOLARPIX.COM** **UK ONLINE USAGE FEE PER PIC 1st £50.00 PP INCLUDING VIDEO GRABS. - NO PRICE CAP - VIDEO FEES AT STANDARD RATES** JOB REF:23130 JPLX DATE:02.06.2025 Caption: PORTUGUESE police were this afternoon closing dirt roads in the Atalaia area near Praia da Luz where tomorrow's search will mainly take place. Blue tents the German police who are leading the search will use have also been put in place in preparation for the early start tomorrow. This pic:Police set up search area for the search tomorrow in Portugal **MUST CREDIT SOLARPIX.COM AS CONDITION OF PUBLICATION** **SOLARPIX RIGHTS-WORLDWIDE SYNDICATION, NO PORTUGAL** **CALL US ON: +34 609568865 ** email: alert@solarpix.com* **ALL ROUND PICTURES & VIDEO FROM SOLARPIX.COM** **UK ONLINE USAGE FEE PER PIC 1st £50.00 PP INCLUDING VIDEO GRABS. - NO PRICE CAP - VIDEO FEES AT STANDARD RATES** JOB REF:23130 JPLX DATE:02.06.2025 Caption: PORTUGUESE police were this afternoon closing dirt roads in the Atalaia area near Praia da Luz where tomorrow's search will mainly take place. Blue tents the German police who are leading the search will use have also been put in place in preparation for the early start tomorrow. This pic:Police set up search area for the search tomorrow in Portugal **MUST CREDIT SOLARPIX.COM AS CONDITION OF PUBLICATION** **SOLARPIX RIGHTS-WORLDWIDE SYNDICATION, NO PORTUGAL** **CALL US ON: +34 609568865 ** email: alert@solarpix.com*

Last night roads were closed and tents set up between the resort in Portugal where the three-year-old vanished 18 years ago, and a house nearby where Christian Brueckner once lived.

Prime suspect Brueckner, 48, is in prison in Germany serving seven years for rape and the request for yet another search was made by German police.

At least 30 agents from Germany’s FBI, the BKA, acted on a tip-off and arrived at the idyllic Portuguese resort.

Police to launch new search for Madeleine McCann today

Hello and welcome to MailOnline’s live coverage as police carry out fresh searches for Madeleine McCann in the Portguese resort she vanished from 18 years ago.

German investigators will today lead new attempts to find Madeleine who was three years old when she disappeared from an apartment complex in Praia da Luz while on holiday with her family.

Her disappearance sparked a major police investigation across Europe and has become one of the highest-profile unsolved missing person cases in the world.

Stick with us throughout the day as we bring you live updates from Praia da Luz with our reporter Nick Pisa plus Jamie Bullen reporting in London.

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Madeleine McCann live updates: Police to search land near suspect’s former home with new ‘weapon’ following tip-off



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