An Italian man and Portuguese woman who allegedly tried to extort money from the parents of Madeline McCann are in custody in southern Spain today pending further questioning.
Police arrested the two in the exclusive Sotogrande district of San Roque town yesterday in relation to the case of the missing British four-year-old.
A judge in the nearby town of Torremolinos has taken charge of the case and placed a secrecy order on investigations, meaning police will not be able to comment on developments.
In a statement issued yesterday, police said the two were suspected of trying to extract money from the McCanns by supposedly offering information concerning their daughter.
But the Italian Foreign Ministry said Spanish authorities had told them the man had no connection with the girl's disappearance.
The McCann family have undertaken a Europe-wide search for their daughter after she disappeared two months ago during a family holiday in Portugal.
AP