Police investigating the disappearance of Madeleine McCann are planning to place suspect Christian B under strict 24/7 surveillance in a bid to snare him.
German officers are said to be determined to prove that the convicted sex offender was the one who kidnapped and possibly killed Maddie.
Christian B may be released from prison before the end of the investigation into him - which police have admitted could stretch to 2026.
Sources close to the investigation claim that the release of the convicted rapist might actually provide a boost in the probe.
German officers are said to be determined to prove that the convicted sex offender was the one who kidnapped and possibly killed Maddie
PA“It is very possible [Christian B] will be released while the investigation into Maddie's whereabouts is still continuing," the source told The Sun.
"If that happens he will be watched around the clock.
“Detectives will monitor him 24/7 to see where he goes and who he talks to."
Officers hope Christian B may hand over clues while being released, describing him as a "weirdo, a drifter, a creature of habit".
German police are confident that Christian B - who was living as a vagrant around Praia da Luz at the time - took Maddie when she was three-years-old in 2007.
"[Christian B] is known to be a weirdo and a drifter, but he’s also a creature of habit so detectives fully expect him to migrate back towards the places and people he was seeing at the time Maddie vanished," the police source said.
“This could well throw up new clues.
"A lot of those involved in the search think [Christian B] being out could actually help shine a new light on areas that have been overlooked or even missed.”
Officers hope Christian B may hand over clues while being released, describing him as a 'weirdo, a drifter, a creature of habit'
PA
The sex offender is serving a seven-year sentence for the 2005 rape of a pensioner in the Portuguese resort of Praia da Luz.
Lead prosecutor Hans Christian Wolters previously said: "The investigation into the Maddie case will take as long as is necessary. If necessary, beyond a possible release of the accused."
And confirming his team is yet to speak to Kate and Gerry, he added: "There is no contact with the McCann family."
In June 2020, the German prosecutor declared they had "strong" evidence against Christian B.
