The hunt for kidnappers who abducted Italian aid worker Silvia Romano is still on.
According to detectives, the hunt has been extended to the larger North Eastern region including Garissa County.
Detectives privy to investigation said that the kidnappers could have hatched a plan to have Romano crossed over to Somalia.
A detective privy to the operation to rescue Romano now claims that she may have been involved in a multi- billion shilling ivory trafficking syndicate that led to her kidnapping.
The detective who spoke to the People Daily on condition of anonymity said that Romano, who was abducted in Chakama village, Kilifi County on November 20, last year might have bought pieces of ivory from one of the suspected kidnappers.
The detective claim that the aid worker was allegedly in constant communication with one of the kidnappers a few days before she was abducted.
Detectives now believe that her kidnapping was a result of a business gone sour.
"We highly suspect that she was dealing in ivory trade and police investigations now indicate that she had not paid for the amount of ivory which had been supplied to her", the detective said as quoted by People Daily.
According to detectives handling the matter, three suspects are in custody over the kidnapping.
Last month, Garissa Township MP Aden Duale asked security agencies to speed up Romano’s rescue operation.
Duale said the aid worker’s kidnapping is likely to scare away foreign volunteers in the country.