Madeleine McCann search: Number of items found by police in Portuguese reservoir

A “number of items” have been found by police in the Portuguese reservoir that’s 31 miles away from where Madeleine McCann went missing 16 years ago.
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The latest search in the Madeleine McCann case has unveiled a “number of items” found by police. Police officers completed their search of the reservoir in Portugal last week,  which is located 31 miles away from where the then British toddler went missing in Praia da Luz in the Algarve 16 years ago.

The news comes after last week’s search was requested by German officers. The investigation into Christian B, the 46-year-old suspect, is “expected to continue for some time” according to the officers.

The items are to be evaluated in the following days and weeks. It is not yet confirmed whether some of the items are related to the Madeleine McCann case, according to the Braunschweig Public Prosecutor's Office.

In June 2020, German police said they believed Madeleine was dead. The Braunschweig Public Prosecutor's Office said in an update on the current search: "The search operation carried out last week in the area of the Arade reservoir in Portugal ended on Thursday (May 25) after three days as planned. 

"A previously precisely defined area along the reservoir was completely searched for possible evidence. A number of items were seized as part of the operation. 

“These will be evaluated in the coming days and weeks. It is not yet possible to say whether some of the items are actually related to the Madeleine McCann case."

The office thanked UK and Portugal police, as well as staff at Germany’s Federal Criminal Police Office for “excellent and very constructive” cooperation.

The statement added in relation to Christian B: “The investigations conducted here in Braunschweig against the 46-year-old suspect are expected to continue for some time.”

The three-day search into the Madeleine McCann case ended on May 25. Divers could be seen entering the water and examining surrounding scrubland during the search.

This isn’t the first time the area has been searched. It was previously investigated in 2008 after Portuguese lawyer Marcos Aragao Correia paid for specialist divers to check the site.

Christian B is in prison for raping a woman, 72, in the same area of the Algarve region from where Madeleine went missing. He has not been charged with any crime related to the disappearance and has always denied any involvement.