• Portuguese and German police have launched a new search for Madeleine McCann in Portugal's Algarve region.
• Christian Brueckner is the prime suspect in her 2007 disappearance, currently imprisoned in Germany.
• The search includes 21 plots of land and focuses on areas near where McCann was last seen.

Portuguese and German police have initiated a significant new search for Madeleine McCann in the Algarve region of Portugal, where the British toddler disappeared on May 3, 2007, while on holiday with her family. This latest operation was launched at the request of German authorities and is expected to continue until June 6 across several areas in Lagos, near the resort of Praia da Luz, where McCann was last seen, according to Reuters and India Times.

The searches are being executed under a European Investigation Order, which enables German prosecutors to conduct investigations in Portugal. This follows the designation of Christian Brueckner, a German national and convicted sex offender, as the main suspect in McCann's disappearance since 2020. Brueckner is serving a seven-year prison sentence in Germany for unrelated sex crimes, and has denied any involvement in McCann’s case, according to South China Morning Post, India Times, and HuffPost.

In this week's search, police are utilizing advanced techniques, including ground-penetrating radar, to investigate 21 different plots of land. The operation particularly emphasizes areas around the Ocean Club resort and locations linked to Brueckner during the time of McCann's disappearance. Previous searches over the years have not produced significant evidence, raising the urgency among investigators to explore these areas thoroughly, according to BBC, Reuters, and CBS News.

The investigation has drawn immense media attention and public interest, maintaining pressure for closure of a case that has remained unresolved for nearly two decades. The McCann family recently reaffirmed their commitment to pursuing leads, stating, "Our determination to 'leave no stone unturned' is unwavering," highlighting the emotional toll and persistence associated with this high-profile case, according to BBC, BBC, and BBC.