The Kochi City Police have busted a suspected human trafficking racket that allegedly lured women from Kerala to Dubai with promises of modelling opportunities before subjecting them to sexual exploitation.

The Maradu police have arrested three women so far and a special investigation team (SIT) under the supervision of Deputy Commissioner of Police Aswathy Jiji has been formed to further investigate the case.

The arrested include Toicy Sindhu, a native of Guruvayur, Aleena Abraham of Ponguvila, Thiruvananthapuram and Manjima of Ponnani. Toicy, who is the first accused, had allegedly coordinated the trafficking operations from an apartment in Maradu. Manjima and Aleena are the third and fourth accused respectively.

The police said efforts were on to trace two more key persons associated with the alleged human trafficking and sexual exploitation of women abroad. The action against the accused was initiated based on the complaints given by two victims.

Kochi City Police Commissioner S. Kaliraj Mahesh Kumar said in Kochi on Tuesday that one of the victims was taken to Dubai after she was offered a job in a beauty parlour. She was sexually exploited and her mobile phone and passport were confiscated by the accused, who had also taken visuals to threaten her, he said.

She managed to escape from the custody of the traffickers with the help of local contacts in Dubai after her visa had expired. Her complaint led to further investigation, which received a boost after another victim approached the police with a similar complaint. The victims informed the police that they were forcibly confined to apartments in Dubai and subjected to repeated abuse.

Modus operandi

The racket reportedly lured aspiring models and beauticians by coming up with well-crafted social media campaigns. The accused had circulated advertisements in January 2026, inviting applications for a fashion show to be held in Dubai in February. The accused promised international exposure, modelling and other employment opportunities to the victims.

The police said they were looking into the alleged links of the fourth accused with certain criminal networks in Kochi. Investigators are also examining whether the accused received protection and support from such gangs in their operations.

The police said that more complaints are expected to emerge against the racket in the coming days.