A major sex trafficking racket operating between Kochi and Dubai has been busted, with police arresting three women who allegedly lured young women with modeling promises and then forced them into sexual exploitation. The racket, which may have victimized hundreds of women, was uncovered after a model and beautician who escaped from Dubai filed a complaint at the Maradu police station.

The accused — Alina Abraham (29) from Thiruvananthapuram’s Poojappura, Toysee from Guruvayur, and Manjima from Ponnani — were arrested from a flat in Maradu. Two more suspects currently in Dubai are still at large.

Police said the gang posted advertisements on social media, claiming to recruit models for fashion shows in Dubai. The ads featured videos of Alina herself and promised selected candidates an opportunity to participate in a prestigious fashion show in February. The victims were lured to Dubai, where they were housed in secret locations. Their passports and phones were confiscated once they arrived.

According to the first complainant, she was drugged through spiked soft drinks or water and then sexually assaulted by multiple men. The gang recorded the abuse and threatened to send the videos to her family if she spoke out. The victims were also told that Alina’s husband was the notorious gangster Aurangzeb, a name used to terrorize them into silence.

Other victims who came forward with similar complaints described how they were kept in captivity for months, cut off from the outside world. Those who resisted were subjected to brutal beatings. The gang used chemical drugs mixed into food and drinks to keep victims unconscious. Nude photos and intimate videos were recorded as leverage.

The investigation revealed that Alina has a history of criminal activity. In November last year, she was involved in an attack on a bar in Vytilla where her gang, armed with swords, stormed the establishment. She was the second accused in that case.

Disturbingly, evidence has emerged suggesting links between the accused and certain prison officials. Photos from Alina’s sister’s wedding, held luxuriously near Neyyattinkara, showed a senior prison official attending as a VIP guest, raising questions about the nexus between the underworld and the prison department.

Kochi Police have registered a human trafficking case. SP officials have confirmed Alina’s close ties with Kochi’s notorious gangster networks. The police are now investigating whether political connections also facilitated the trafficking operations. Many more victims are believed to still be trapped in Dubai, and authorities are working to rescue them.