Police are looking at increasing numbers in the hunt for missing toddler Aisling Symes which is now being treated as a kidnapping.
The two-year-old went missing from Longburn Rd in the west Auckland suburb of Henderson about 5.30pm on Monday.
More than 100 police officers and volunteer searchers have scoured the area but failed to find any sign of Aisling, leading police to believe she was abducted.
As the search entered its fifth day today Inspector Gary Davey said police had about 40 people on the investigation team, a number which could increase as time progressed.
After three days of searching Mr Davey said today it was looking increasingly likely she had been kidnapped.
He could not rule out that she may have been stolen to order.
"That is a possibility. What I am trying to do is to convince the public to keep an open mind."
He said if she was taken to order it would be a very, very rare occurrence.
"We don't have any evidence to suggest any scenario. Some are more likely than others.
"For example abduction is more likely than her wandering off, given the thoroughness of our search."
It was also a possibility she had been a hit-and-run victim where the driver had panicked and taken her away.
Mr Davey said search and rescue experts believed after studying the creek near her family's house, the rainfall, and the water flows, it was "highly unlikely" she would have been swept down the creek before the police began their intense search of the area.
He said the mystery Asian woman seen with Aisling about 5.30pm on Monday had still to be identified and there was still a possibility she had no idea of the search or the grief of the parents, Alan and Angela Symes.
She was about 165cm tall with a medium build and long straight black hair, wore a black crew neck top, with three-quarter length sleeves, three-quarter length blue jeans, black leather sandals and black socks, and had a black and grey medium sized dog on a lead.
Aisling was believed to be wearing a green parka jacket or ski jacket, blue jeans embroidered with flowers, and white tennis shoes.
Anyone with information about Aisling or her whereabouts was asked to contact Henderson police.
- NZPA
Phone police on 0800 4 Aisling (0800 4 2475464) if you have information on the case.
