Breakthrough in Maddie case leads to frustration

UK police believe they've made a major breakthrough in the Madeleine McCann case, but it has caused authorities more frustration.

After re-opening the case into the missing child, police believe they've identified the men responsible for her kidnapping, the Daily Mail reported.

The main theory is that Maddie was taken as part of a robbery gone wrong and not that she was taken as part of a child slavery sting, but UK authorities are unable to question the men because they are under foreign jurisdiction.

The men were known to be part of a robbery gang preying on tourists operating in the beach town of Praia da Luz around the time that Maddie went missing.

Police now believe that Maddie disturbed the robbers after they broke into the holiday apartment the McCanns were staying at while parents Kate and Gerry were at dinner..

The breakthrough came after police analysed phone records of the men and tracked a high volume of calls hours after Maddie went missing from.

Police have been left frustrated by Portugese officials, who originally ran the case, with delays on tracking the suspects.

UK officials were also frustrated that Portugese police had not taken a robbery gone wrong into their original theories of what happened.

The men can't be taken into custody until UK police get permission.

UK authorities have also discounted the main theory of the Portugese police that Maddie had been taken by a former employee at the holiday complex.