'A number of items seized' in Portugal renewed search for Madeleine McCann, German authorities say

LONDON and BERLIN -- German authorities said Thursday that "a number of items were seized" in Portugal during a renewed search for missing British child Madeleine McCann.

"These will be evaluated in the coming days and weeks," the Braunschweig District Attorney's Office in Germany said in a statement. "It is not yet possible to say whether any of the items are actually related to the Madeleine McCann case."

German, Portuguese and British police took part in the three-day operation in the Algarve region of southern Portugal last week, during which officers were seen scouring the banks of the Arade reservoir for possible evidence. The area is about 30 miles from the Praia da Luz resort, where McCann was last seen in 2007. The 3 year-old was on vacation with her family at the time.

A number of searches have been conducted over the years, but the latest was done at the request of German authorities. Portuguese police said last week that all material collected during the operation would be handed over to German authorities for examination.

"Sincere thanks go out to all police officers involved in the search," the Braunschweig District Attorney's Office said. "The cooperation between the Portuguese police, the police officers from Great Britain and the and the Federal Criminal Police Office was excellent and very constructive.

In 2020, German police identified 45-year-old German citizen Christian Brueckner as a suspect in McCann's disappearance. Brueckner, who was in Portugal's Algarve region in 2007, is currently in jail in the northern German city of Braunschweig for a different case.

"The investigations conducted here in Braunschweig against the 46-year-old suspect are are expected to continue for some time," the district attorney's office added.