LEVI Davis may have fled for his life from a Somali drug gang he owed money to, a private investigator working for his family has claimed.
The 24-year-old X-Factor star was last seen leaving a pub in Barcelona on October 29 and his passport was later discovered in the city’s port area.
Reports have speculated the missing former professional rugby player may have drowned after being hunted by criminals over a £100,000 debt.
Private investigator Gavin Burrows and his company, Line of Inquiry, have been helping Levi’s family in their desperate search.
"There is a significant link between a Somali drug and another Somali drug gang in Barcelona and it's alleged from sources he owed a sizeable debt,” he told The Sun Online.
"This began two years ago, resulting in Levi running from his apartment as he believed he was in danger.”
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In a since deleted video from before his disappearance, Levi claimed he was being "blackmailed" and feared his "life was in danger".
Burrows claimed his investigations have confirmed that was the case, but added: “We're yet to confidently determine what about”.
CCTV shows Levi leaving The Old Irish Pub at around 10.05pm after travelling to Barcelona from Ibiza, where he had been staying with a friend.
He posted a final video message on the ferry in which he can be heard saying: "Hi mum… it's beautiful."
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Around the time Levi was last seen, cruise ship workers are said to have reported sighting a person in the sea.
But search operations were suspended because no one was missing on board the ship, which has led to speculation this may have been a missed chance.
Levi’s bank card and phone have not been used and reports in Spain cite fears Levi could have been entrapped by someone he met on social media.
The latest twist comes after his heartbroken mum Julie broke down in tears as she recalled the last hug she gave her son before he left for Spain.
Good Morning Britain host Susanna Reid held Julie's hand as she spoke and later left the studio to comfort her.
“There’s always that mother’s instinct," she said.
"And just before he left there was a message that, I don’t know, maybe powers up above, that said to me, ‘Give him a hug because you just don’t know if it’s going to be your last.'”
Meanwhile, new photos of Levi taken by his photographer friend Adetodkunbo Adetona have emerged three months after he vanished.
They were taken to go with Levi's second music single – Los Angeles – which was due to be released in November.
Levi made history in 2020 when he was the first professional rugby union player to come out as bisexual while still playing.
The sportsman-turned-reality star performed on X Factor: Celebrity in 2019 with fellow rugby players Ben Foden and Thom Evans as part of the group Try Star.
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In 2020, he starred in the E4 dating series Celebs Go Virtual Dating.
The former Bath winger had been suffering from depression and had gone on holiday following a knee injury.
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