Officers raided a home in Ireland after an anonymous tip-off
Police in Ireland were left stunned after raiding a house and discovering a poster of Maddie McCann on the wall, causing a major alert in the case.
Officers raided the remote home in Co Donegal after a recent tip-off
Following the discovery, Irish police contacted Interpol to inform them.
Checks were then made to establish where the man in the Donegal case was when McCann went missing in Portugal on May 3 2007.
However after checks, officers were satisfied that there was no connection between the man and Maddie.
A Garda source said there was no way the man could have been in Portugal at the time Maddie disappeared.
“It was a full-scale operation as we were fearful the man would destroy any potential evidence we were trying to gather before we arrested him,” they told the Irish Mirror.
“However, nobody was prepared for the picture of Maddie McCann in the house. It was very unusual to say the least, considering the circumstances.
“We had to make all the relevant checks but are satisfied that this man had nothing to do with that particular case.”
The police did remove a number of items from the house following the raid, including a laptop – but it is understood that a genuine reason was given by another person in the house for the man having a picture of Maddie on his wall.
Related links:
- ‘Super recogniser’ draws ‘accurate’ modern Maddie McCann to help police find her
- Madeleine McCann prosecutors ‘100% convinced’ they’ve solved case
- Maddie McCann’s ex-GP mum Kate returns to work on NHS front line
