The Unknown ‘Detective’ Who Triggered A Frantic Search For Madeleine McCann

A small newspaper advertisement published in a South American local newspaper sparked an international media frenzy yesterday with its claim that missing British child Madeleine McCann has been spotted in Paraguay.  Little is known about the man who allegedly placed the quarter-page ad. While Mr Miraz Ullah Ali Isa describes himself as a private investigator from London, official investigators have questioned his credibility and he could provide no official documentation to prove his credentials as a private eye. Nevertheless, Mr Ali Isa insists he has information to suggest that the missing child 'has been found living in Areguá, possibly with a woman.' Madeleine vanished from her bedroom at a Praia de Luz resort in the Algarve on May 3, 2007. Nine years and thousands of 'sightings' later, police are no closer to finding the child, who would now be 12. The advertisement, which featured a number of images of Maddie, including an age-progressed photograph, continues:

"She was kidnapped from her hotel on the 3rd of May 2007 aged three at the Praia da Luz complex in the Algarve, Portugal. Please look at the photo above. "She is now 12 years old and a photograph has been produced of how she would look when she was nine-years-old. "We believe two men were involved and left the country using a boat. "Madeleine has a distinctive characteristic in her right eye; a hole in the lower part of her eye. "Please, look at the photograph of the eye on the right in the rectangular square. Please, help return Madeleine to her mother. "She has suffered in an indescribable manner. There is a reward of 2 million Euros for information leading to the safe return of Madeleine."

Interpol inspector Luis Ignacio Arias told EFE that the agency has zero 'concrete' information on the man who made the bizarre claims, while Arias Paraguay’s National Police are reportedly launching an investigation into Mr Ali Isa and his story. Image of Miraz Ullah Ali Isa: ABC