Major sex racket trafficking models to Dubai busted by Kochi police; SIT formed after victims reveal horror

Kochi: In a major crackdown, Kochi City police have busted an international human trafficking and sexual exploitation racket that lured women from Kerala to Dubai by promising lucrative modelling, beautician and fashion industry opportunities abroad and later trapped them there, blackmailed and forced them into sex work. Three of the key accused, all women, have been arrested after two victims, who escaped and returned to Kerala, approached the police and narrated horrific accounts of drugging, physical assault, confinement and systematic sexual abuse.

In view of the seriousness and scale of the allegations, Kochi City Police have constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) under the supervision of Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Ashwathy Jiji to probe what investigators suspect is a deeply entrenched trafficking syndicate with international links.

The arrested accused have been identified as Toicy Sindhu, a native of Guruvayur who allegedly coordinated the trafficking operations from a flat in Maradu;  Aleena Abraham, a model from Ponguvila in Thiruvananthapuram and Manjima, a native of Ponnani. While Toicy is the first accused in the case, Aleena and Manjima are the third and fourth accused, respectively.

Police sources said that many persons have been included in the preliminary suspect list based on confidential in-camera statements provided by the victims. The police suspect that at least two key operators, who are the second and fifth accused in the case, are still based in Dubai, and efforts are underway to bring them back to India.

Toicy Sindhu was intercepted by immigration authorities at Mumbai International Airport after Kerala Police issued a Look Out Circular (LOC) against her. The police said she had allegedly attempted to flee the country after realising that the investigation was closing in on the syndicate. Aleena Abraham was arrested from a flat in Maradu, which investigators suspect functioned as the local operational hub of the racket.

According to the police, the case came to light about a month ago after a young model and beautician managed to escape from the alleged traffickers’ custody in Dubai and return to Kerala with the help of local contacts there after her visiting visa expired. Her complaint prompted further investigation, following which another victim approached police with similar allegations.

The police said that the syndicate primarily targeted aspiring models and beauticians through professionally designed social media campaigns promising international exposure and employment opportunities in Dubai.

The police found that Aleena had allegedly circulated advertisements last January inviting applications for a so-called international fashion show in Dubai. To lend credibility to the operation, the accused allegedly promoted an exclusive 'fashion workshop' on January 25 featuring a noted fashion groomer. Young women were told that selected participants would get an opportunity to walk the ramp at an international event scheduled in Dubai in February.

The police also found that the network targeted housewives and women seeking overseas employment by offering attractive jobs in beauty parlours and related sectors abroad. How many women have fallen victims to the trap is yet to be clear.

The victims told the police that soon after arriving in Dubai on two-month visit visas, their passports, mobile phones and money were confiscated. They were allegedly confined inside flats and subjected to repeated abuse.

According to the statements given to police, the women were allegedly drugged either by forcefully administering narcotic substances or by mixing unidentified white powder into soft drinks and water. Once rendered semi-conscious, they were allegedly sexually exploited and forcibly sent to multiple men.

Investigators said the accused persons allegedly filmed the sexual acts and later used the explicit videos and photographs to blackmail the victims into continued submission.

Victims also alleged that those who resisted were physically assaulted and threatened that the footage would be sent to their families in Kerala. In some cases, the accused allegedly used the victims’ seized mobile phones to contact family members and falsely portray the women as being involved in illegal activities abroad, while pressuring relatives to sever ties with them. One of the complainants reportedly told police that members of the racket even threatened to kill her child if she attempted to escape or report the abuse.

The police have invoked various sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and IT Act, including gang rape, human trafficking, assault, etc.

Kochi City Police Commissioner Kaliraj Mahesh Kumar said the investigation was being pursued with utmost seriousness and indicated that more details on the victims could emerge in the coming days.

“We took the case very seriously, formed a team, and subsequently found another victim from another district. The information we have received so far is entirely from the victims. Their visas were taken away, and they were systematically exploited. We see this as a continuous offense — the initial motivation, contact, and financial transactions happen here, while the exploitation takes place abroad. There is a legal procedure for this, and we are moving forward strictly as per the law,” the Commissioner said.

The police are also examining Aleena Abraham’s alleged criminal connections in Kochi. Investigators confirmed that she had previously been arrested in connection with a violent altercation at a bar in Vyttila in November last year along with an alleged gang leader in Kochi. The police suspect local criminal networks may have provided protection and logistical support to the trafficking syndicate.

The Commissioner confirmed that police were probing allegations of gang involvement and intimidation linked to the accused.

“We are precisely looking into her association with certain known gang elements in Kochi. In another district, a victim faced severe intimidation when attempting to file a complaint; suspects even entered her house. We are currently verifying these statements. If there is clear evidence of the involvement of any goons, those individuals will be added to the list of the accused,” he said.

Appealing to more victims to come forward, Kumar assured complete confidentiality and protection for complainants.

“There is a high possibility of more complaints coming forward because the victims themselves stated that several other people were trapped there. My request is, if anyone has any information or has been affected by this, please share it. The probe is being spearheaded by DCP Ashwathy. You can reach out directly to the DCP or the Vanitha Cell SHO. I guarantee that all identity details will be kept strictly confidential, as our ultimate objective is to completely dismantle this racket,” he added.

The SIT is now accelerating legal procedures to trace the remaining accused in Dubai, examine the financial trail linked to the trafficking network, and identify the full extent of the syndicate’s operations across Kerala and abroad.