Madeleine McCann search LIVE: Cops set to CALL OFF hunt today after just 3 days of scouring Brueckner’s ‘rat run’
THE last-ditch search for Madeleine McCann's body is set to be called off today if nothing of interest is unearthed.
Cops had been granted until Friday to comb prime suspect Christian Brueckner's "rat-run" scrubland near Praia da Luz, but will likely walk away this evening after three days of digging.
Investigators were seen carting away soil and other material, and will now spend weeks analysing this for any shred of evidence that links Brueckner to Maddie.
The search was scheduled to last three days from Tuesday with an option to extend if anything of interest was unearthed.
And a source close to the investigation told The Sun on Thursday morning: “There are currently no plans to extend and if the situation remains the same the search will end this evening.
“It’s very disappointing but nothing taken away from the search area so far has provided any clues.”
Investigators are in a race against time to turn up evidence pinning Maddie's case to Brueckner - who they are convinced killed the tot - before he flees Germany.
They have zeroed in on an area of scrubland - which prolific thief Brueckner scuttled around as his "rat-run" in 2007.
Plans to scour the wider area were scrapped last night - with cops focusing all their efforts on the abandoned buildings linked to the convicted rapist.
Police said they were scouring at least five structures within the 21-square-kilometre search area, where there is a crumbling farmhouse, disused well and derelict barns.
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Cops arrived armed with a radar scanner which can penetrate 15ft into the ground, hoping to find evidence of her body or any other clues.
And on Wednesday a large yellow JCB-type digger rolled up to excavate, with evidence of it digging trenches in some of the crumbling sites.
The Sun team on the ground saw the excavator pulling back earth to clear it for the radar, and teams taking away boxes of soil for lab testing.
It comes after we revealed key figures in the case were flown back to Germany to give further statements on the claims Brueckner kidnapped and killed the toddler in 2007.
The ongoing searches are understood to be linked to these secret meetings, which took place at the start of the year.
A police theory is the three-year-old or her pyjamas might have been dumped in trenches near the holiday resort that were dug as part of extensive works at the time.
Brueckner is set for release from jail in September after serving a seven-year prison sentence in Germany for a 2005 Praia da Luz rape of an elderly American woman.
He has never been formally charged over Madeleine’s disappearance and denies any involvement - but German cops are convinced he is guilty.
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If released, he is expected to flee Germany for a country without an extradition treaty - so even if evidence linking him to Maddie emerges in the future, it may be impossible to bring him to justice.
Follow our live blog, below, for the latest news and updates...
Portuguese cops 'would love to be proved wrong' in Maddie search
Portuguese cops have said they are just "complying" with decisions they haven't taken and their German counterparts.
An anonymous Portuguese police source said at the beginning of the search: "We have low expectations about these searches but we’ve got our orders and we’re not going to stand in the way.
"The information that’s being put out in the public arena is that they’ll last five days with the preparation work and clean-up afterwards and we’ve been told to expect three days of full work on the ground.
"But on the Portuguese side at least there’s wishful thinking this could all be done in one day.
"We would love to be proved wrong and see a significant discovery because it’s what we’ve all been working towards for so many years.
"But the area that’s going to be turned upside down this week has already been searched by Portuguese officers."
Cops to continue search 'until Friday'
Cops are aiming to continue their search on "multiple areas a day" until at least Friday.
The crucial searches for traces of Madeleine McCann were launched after German cops secretly recalled all key witnesses on the case, The Sun can exclusively reveal.
Key figures in the case were flown back to Germany to give further at statements on the claims Christian Brueckner kidnapped and killed the toddler in 2007.
At least two of these former Brueckner associates have since been relocated and given new mobile phones.
The ongoing searches are understood to be linked to the secret meetings, which took place at the start of the year.
Prosecutors say they continue to take the testimony of their key witnesses seriously.
Credit: PA New search 'largest since 2008'
The latest search for missing British toddler Madeleine McCann is shaping up to be the most extensive operation in over 15 years, according to officials involved in the investigation.
Portugal’s Judicial Police confirmed they are acting under search warrants requested by German prosecutors in Braunschweig, who in 2022 formally named Christian Brueckner as an official suspect.
The convicted sex offender lived in the region at the time of Madeleine’s disappearance.
A source close to the operation said the area under investigation spans several hectares, with officers using ground-penetrating radar to comb through the terrain.
Portuguese police are working under a European Investigation Order and are reportedly following directions from their German counterparts.
Map: Three new sites being scoured for Maddie
Cops perform fingertip searches
Cops were seen performing fingertip searches at one of the derelict barns today.
The gloved officer was seen pulling at fibres close to one of the buildings, some of which appear to be farm houses or cottages.
Credit: Dan Charity Five years since Christian Brueckner named as a suspect by German cops
Today marks exactly five years since Christian Brueckner was named as a suspect by German police.
Brueckner was officially named a suspect in the Madeleine McCann case in 2022, after it emerged he had reportedly been driving around the resort on the night she went missing.
Born in Germany in 1976, he moved to Portugal in his late teens and is believed to have lived there between 1995 and 2007.
The convicted paedophile at one point stayed in a campervan near Praia da Luz – where three-year-old Madeleine vanished in 2007.
Brueckner had chillingly made a 30-minute phone call in the resort just an hour before Maddie disappeared, according to the Telegraph.
He is also reported to have spent time close to the Barragem do Arade reservoir between 2000 to 2017 – roughly 30 miles from Praia da Luz.
Brueckner has consistently denied any involvement in Madeleine’s disappearance.
Credit: Dan Charity Radar equipment seen in use
Radar equipment was seen in use for the first time this afternoon.
Derelict barns were cleared in preparation for scanning.
In one, visited by The Sun, piles of rubble had been thrown out of the building, leaving a clear floor ready for the ground radar.
It will scan 15ft down in Praia da Luz, Portugal, where Madeleine vanished from a holiday flat in 2007 aged three.
At least five different abandoned buildings were being searched today.
The search today extended to two more derelict barns, in the same area of scrubland.
Credit: Dan Charity 
Credit: Dan Charity Cops use drones on day two of Maddie search
Cops have been sending drones into the sky as investigators continue to scour the shrub in the hunt for Madeleine - or any clues linked to her disappearance.
A digger has been seen in use among another equipment including a strimmer to clear sites around abandoned farmhouses.
German federal cops requested the new search as they desperately look for new evidence linking Madeleine's disappearance to prime suspect Christian Brueckner.
Credit: PA Ground scanning to begin this afternoon
Portuguese cops confirmed the scanning of the ground for Maddie traces will begin this afternoon.
The officer told The Sun: “The scanning equipment will begin after lunch we think.”
It will scan 15ft down in Praia da Luz, Portugal, where Madeleine vanished from a holiday flat in 2007 aged three.
At least five different abandoned buildings were being searched today.
The search today extended to two more derelict barns, in the same area of scrubland.
At least one was covered in graffiti and was said to have been as a hangout for local drinkers.
Credit: PA 
Credit: PA 
Credit: PA
Sites prepared for 'weapon' radar
Search cops significantly stepped-up their activity today widening the number of sites.
Derelict barns were cleared in preparation for scanning.
In one, visited by The Sun, piles of rubble had been thrown out of the building, leaving a clear floor ready for the ground radar.
It will scan 15ft down in Praia da Luz, Portugal, where Madeleine vanished from a holiday flat in 2007 aged three.
An investigation source previously told The Sun: “German cops know it is now or never so they need to push ahead with every credible tip they have.
“Following [Christian] Brueckner’s trial last year someone contacted them with theories on where anyone who took Madeleine might have dumped her, or her clothes.
“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 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.
“With time running out they are praying they get a breakthrough.”
Digger seen in use for first time in Maddie search
Cops appeared to break ground today as a JCB digger was pictured clearing rubble and pulling back soil.
It was unclear whether it was part of a targeted dig or continuing preparation for ground-scanning radar.
At least five different abandoned buildings were being searched today.
The search today extended to two more derelict barns, in the same area of scrubland.
At least one was covered in graffiti and was said to have been as a hangout for local drinkers.
Pictures: Investigators scour abandoned farmhouse
Credit: Reuters 
Credit: AFP 
Credit: AFP 
Credit: AFP Cops look at two more barns today
The search today extended to two more derelict barns, in the same area of scrubland.
At least one was covered in graffiti and was said to have been as a hangout for local drinkers.
Cops have been captured scouring one of the farmhouses already.
Rubble is being removed from the building, while search teams also continue to use strimmers and chainsaws to cut back vegetation and undergrowth outside the second farmhouse.
Police today have stepped up security forcing media back from the search site.
Yesterday, German and Portuguese teams scoured another dilapidated farmhouse, with boxes thought to contain soil and debris carried out for further examination.
Credit: Reuters 
Credit: PA Christian Brueckner's connections to Praia da Luz
Prime suspect Christian Brueckner was born in Germany in 1976 but moved to Portugal as a teenager.
He is thought to have resided in Portugal for around 12 years between 1995 to 2007.
The convicted paedophile at one point stayed in a campervan near Praia da Luz - where three-year-old Madeleine vanished in 2007.
Brueckner had chillingly made a 30-minute phone call in the resort just an hour before Maddie disappeared, according to the Telegraph.
He is also reported to have spent time close to the Barragem do Arade reservoir between 2000 to 2017 - roughly 30 miles from Praia da Luz.
Brueckner has consistently denied any involvement in Madeleine's disappearance.
Credit: Darren Fletcher EXCLUSIVE: Reason behind fresh Maddie search revealed
The crucial searches for traces of Madeleine McCann were launched after German cops secretly recalled all key witnesses on the case.
Key figures in the case were flown back to Germany to give further at statements on the claims Christian Brueckner kidnapped and killed the toddler in 2007.
At least two of these former Brueckner associates have since been relocated and given new mobile phones.
The ongoing searches are understood to be linked to the secret meetings, which took place at the start of the year.
Prosecutors say they continue to take the testimony of their key witnesses seriously.
Pictures: Cops scouring second farmhouse
Credit: Reuters 
Credit: Reuters 
Credit: Reuters Failed previous searches for Madeleine
The 2023 searches were the first major hunt in Portugal for Madeleine in nine years.
Search teams carried out a , which prime suspect Christian Brueckner allegedly referred to as "his little paradise".
The reservoir is 31 miles from the holiday apartment in where Madeleine was snatched.
Cops also following their search at a "hippy camp" close to the reservoir.
They followed an earlier June 2014 operation when British police were given permission to do digs in Praia da Luz that involved sniffer dogs trained in detecting bodies and ground-penetrating radar.
Those Scotland Yard digs were linked to the leading UK police theory at the time that Madeleine died during a break-in and burglars dumped her body nearby.
They also failed to produce any evidence pointing to the missing youngster’s whereabouts.
In a smaller operation in July 2020 Portuguese police and firefighters searched three wells for Madeleine’s body but failed to find any trace of her.
Cops scour ANOTHER abandoned farmhouse today
German cops have resumed their operation on secluded scrubland close to Praia da Luz in a desperate search for Maddie.
Another dilapidated farmhouse is being searched today that sits 100 metres near the cliff edge, Mirror reports.
Rubble is being removed from the building, while search teams also continue to use strimmers and chainsaws to cut back vegetation and undergrowth outside the second farmhouse.
Yesterday, German and Portuguese teams scoured another dilapidated farmhouse, with boxes thought to contain soil and debris carried out for further examination.
'Weapon' radar set to be used in search
Radar will scan 15ft down in Praia da Luz, Portugal, where Madeleine vanished from a holiday flat in 2007 aged three.
An investigation source told The Sun: “German cops know it is now or never so they need to push ahead with every credible tip they have.
“Following [Christian] Brueckner’s trial last year someone contacted them with theories on where anyone who took Madeleine might have dumped her, or her clothes.
“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 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.
“With time running out they are praying they get a breakthrough.”
Credit: Alamy Where did Madeleine vanish?
Madeleine disappeared from her family's holiday apartment in Rua Dr Agostinho da Silva, Praia da Luz, a resort in the Algarve region of Portugal.
She was on holiday with her parents Kate and Gerry McCann and younger siblings - twins Sean and Amelie - when she went missing.
The McCanns arrived at the location on April 28, 2007, for a seven-night break at the two-bedroom ground-floor apartment.
Madeleine vanished from the accommodation where she had been sleeping with her brother and sister on what was due to be the penultimate day of the McCann family holiday.
The children's parents were at a nearby restaurant.
The three-year-old's disappearance remains one of the most well-known missing person cases in British history.
Credit: PA McCann family not speaking to press
The McCann family today confirmed they would not be granting any interviews.
A spokeswoman for the official Find Madeleine Campaign said: “Due to an active police investigation, Kate and Gerry are not doing interviews at this time.”
The couple have previously welcomed all developments in the search for answers for their daughter.
Credit: AP
Pictures: Cops at the scene for day 2 of search
Credit: PA 
Credit: PA 
Credit: PA Map: Day 1 of fresh Madeleine search
Bombshell new search is most important yet
After the airing of our exclusive investigation it quickly became clear - very few people had any idea over the extent of what the convicted paedophile and rapist might be capable of.
Despite denying any involvement in Maddie's disappearance, we need to remind ourselves, he is currently on course to walk free in September - in a matter of some 15 weeks.
And THAT is why the development of must be welcomed.
No dig for the remains of a child should ever be greeted with happiness. Of course not.
The plight of Maddie is heartbreaking for us all - nevermind how impossible it must be for her dedicated family to consider.
But justice must be done in such appalling circumstances, mustn't it?
to find out why this search is the most important so far.
'No leads uncovered' in first day of search - report
Yesterday, authorities focused on abandoned buildings, two wells and two water tanks to the east of Praia da Luz.
But no leads have been uncovered so far, according to Portuguese newspaper Correio da Manha.
The paper said: "The investigations were suspended at the end of the day, without finding anything relevant to the investigation."
German and Portuguese authorities have until the weekend to carry out their searches.
This could be extended, however, if anything significant is discovered.
