07:09, Thu, Jun 5, 2025 | UPDATED: 07:11, Thu, Jun 5, 2025
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The search for clues into Madeleine McCann's disappearance will continue on Thursday (Image: GETTY)
A man who knew Madeleine McCann prime suspect Christian Brueckner has made a dramatic appeal to police, claiming they are searching in the wrong place. Ken Ralphs told GB News that Brueckner's alleged accomplice once broke down in tears and confessed plans to help abduct a child in Praia de Luz.
He said: "He cried that he needed the money to get out the country with his family and children and that's why he got involved." Mr Ralphs identified what he described as the last property Brueckner stayed in before Madeleine vanished – and urged investigators to focus there. Frustrated by years of inaction, he said: "For over 18 years, I've pressed the police and all they can do is blame each other for not passing this information on."
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Police have launched multiple searches for Madeleine McCann since her disappearance in Portugal in 2007.
Early efforts focused on the Praia da Luz resort, where she was last seen in her family's holiday apartment.
In 2013, British police began Operation Grange, a formal investigation into the case. Searches have included digging in scrubland, draining reservoirs, and using sniffer dogs and ground-penetrating radar.
German authorities have also led inquiries in recent years, targeting prime suspect Christian Brückner.
Brueckner link under scrutiny as police plan to examine 21 sites in McCann case
The search area includes fields, wells, ruins and water tanks, with plans reported to examine up to 21 sites.
German federal police requested the operation as they pursue evidence that could implicate prime suspect Christian Brueckner.
Brueckner is currently in prison for the 2005 rape of a woman in the same resort town, and is due for release in September unless further charges are brought.
The Metropolitan Police are aware of the search but are not involved, with the operation expected to continue until Friday.
Madeleine McCann search enters third day as officers scour scrubland and ruins
Investigators are continuing to search abandoned buildings and scrubland near Praia da Luz as the second day of renewed efforts to find Madeleine McCann gets underway.
German and Portuguese officers, joined by firefighters, face the grim task of sifting through terrain 18 years after the three-year-old vanished.
This week’s search is focused on land roughly 3.5 miles from where she disappeared in 2007 while on holiday with her parents.
Ground-penetrating radar and heavy machinery were seen in use on Wednesday, with officers working under intense international media attention.
Major search update as man who knew suspect makes huge claim
A man who knew Madeleine McCann suspect Christian Brueckner has made a dramatic appeal to police, claiming they are searching in the wrong place.
Ken Ralphs told GB News that Brueckner's alleged accomplice once broke down in tears and confessed plans to help abduct a child in Praia da Luz.
He said: "He cried that he needed the money to get out the country with his family and children and that's why he got involved."
Mr Ralphs identified what he described as the last property Brueckner stayed in before Madeleine vanished – and urged investigators to focus there.
Frustrated by years of inaction, he said: "For over 18 years, I've pressed the police and all they can do is blame each other for not passing this information on."
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