Madeleine McCann: Man who knew prime suspect tells police ‘where they need to be searching’ in bombshell GB News interview

"I was introduced to Christian [Brueckner] by someone who told me he was his best friend," Ralphs told GB News.

"We invited Christian for a drink. I was friendly with his accomplice. He started to cry and confess that he was going to get involved with Christian to take a child in Praia de Luz. I thought that was crazy."

The revelation comes as German and Portuguese investigators conduct fresh searches near the Algarve resort.

According to Ralphs, the accomplice broke down during their conversation, revealing disturbing details about the planned abduction.

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"He said Christian knew what he was doing and he had a plan. I just said, 'you want to stay away from these people. Stay the hell out'," Ralphs recounted.

The accomplice reportedly cried as he explained his desperate financial situation. "He cried that he needed the money to get out the country with his family and children and that's why he got involved," Ralphs told GB News.

Crucially, Ralphs identified a specific location where he believes investigators should focus their efforts.

"Brueckner was going to stay at a property and a house. That property is the last place Brueckner stayed," he said, adding that the owner had returned to Germany, leaving Brueckner alone with the accomplice.

Ralphs expressed deep frustration at the authorities' failure to act on his information for nearly two decades.

"The bottom line is, that's where they need to be searching. For over 18 years, I've pressed the police and all they can do is blame each other for not passing this information on so that is why I have turned up today because I am sick to death of this going from one ear out of the other," he told GB News.

GB News's National Reporter Charlie Peters noted that Ralphs became emotional whilst sharing his testimony.

When questioned about why he hadn't reported the information immediately, Ralphs explained that the Algarve in 2007 was full of "grifters" who said wild things whilst drunk or under the influence.

Peters described it as a "compelling testimony" that raises questions for police to answer.

The timing of Ralphs' revelations coincides with renewed search efforts in Portugal, where teams have been draining wells and clearing dense vegetation near abandoned buildings.

GB News' Charlie Peters is granted exclusive access to the area where police are currently searching for evidence linked to the disappearance of Madeleine McCann - WATCH

German investigators, working alongside Portuguese police and firefighters, are conducting searches in countryside areas a few miles from Praia da Luz at the request of German federal police.

The searches, which began on Tuesday and are expected to continue until Friday, involve around 30 German officers including forensic experts.

Brueckner, who is currently imprisoned for raping a 72-year-old woman in Praia da Luz in 2005, remains the prime suspect in Madeleine's disappearance.

He is due to be released from jail in September if no further charges are brought against him.