Portuguese police have launched a new search operation near the area where British toddler Madeleine McCann went missing in 2007, a police spokeswoman confirmed on Tuesday.

Madeleine, who was three years old at the time, vanished from an apartment at the coastal resort of Praia da Luz in southern Portugal while on holiday with her family. Her disappearance triggered a global manhunt and widespread media attention that has continued for over a decade.

According to AFP journalists at the scene, several police vehicles were seen on Tuesday moving along a dirt road that was secured by uniformed officers.

The latest operation, which is expected to last until Friday, is being carried out at the request of German authorities.

German investigators are pursuing leads related to Christian Brueckner, a convicted rapist currently under suspicion for the abduction and murder of Madeleine McCann.

The most recent search connected to the case prior to this was conducted in May 2023 near a lake in Portugal, but yielded no significant findings.

AFP News