The Case of Maddie McCann: Investigators Launch Search Operation at a Reservoir in Portugal

The disappearance of British girl Maddie McCann in 2007 remains a haunting mystery. While investigators believe she is deceased, her body has never been found. Now, the search for the missing girl has been reignited in and around a reservoir in Portugal, a location known to be frequented by German suspect Christian B.

The investigators working on the Maddie McCann case have stumbled upon a new lead. On Tuesday, a large-scale search operation will commence at a remote reservoir in Portugal. Barragem do Arade, the reservoir in question, is situated approximately fifty kilometers away from the holiday resort of Praia da Luz. It was in Praia da Luz, located in the Algarve region, that three-year-old British girl Maddy went missing 16 years ago. The authorities have turned their attention to the reservoir due to its reported association with the German suspect, Christian B.

According to the Mirror, the police have already cordoned off the access roads leading to the reservoir in Silves. British investigators are reportedly en route to the dam, and it is expected that the German police will also join the search. This operation is anticipated to last for two to three days, as reported by the Portuguese Criminal Police to state news agency Lusa on Monday.

Previous media reports indicate that a privately funded search operation was conducted at the reservoir in 2008, during which bones were discovered. However, later examination revealed that the bones were "non-human," writes the Mirror. Additionally, ropes, adhesive tape, and a white sock were found at the site.

The primary suspect in the case, Christian B., is a convicted criminal currently in custody. He is serving his sentence in Lower Saxony for the rape of a 72-year-old woman, an offense committed in 2005, approximately a year and a half prior to Maddie McCann's disappearance. Christian B. has also served time in prison for drug trafficking.

As per earlier media reports, Christian B. has seventeen entries on his criminal record. In October 1993, when he was still a juvenile, B. was sentenced to two years in a youth detention center for multiple offenses, including child abuse, according to court documents. Furthermore, he faced charges in Portugal for three counts of rape and two counts of child sexual abuse. However, these charges were dropped by a Braunschweig court in April last year due to lack of evidence.

German investigators hold the belief that Madeleine McCann is deceased. However, neither the child nor her remains have been found thus far. At the beginning of this month, on Madeleine's 20th birthday, her parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, declared that they would "never give up" the search for their daughter. In February, a young Polish woman gained attention on social media when she claimed to be Madeleine McCann.