Dubai fashion horror: International sex racket traps eight Kerala models; three women arrested

KOCHI: In a major crackdown on human trafficking within the glamour industry, the Kochi City Police have busted an international sex racket that allegedly lured young women to Dubai under the guise of fashion workshops. Three individuals, including a prominent model, have been arrested for trafficking and exploiting at least eight women from Kerala.
According to investigators, the racket extorted lakhs of rupees by blackmailing the victims, holding them captive, and subjecting them to sexual assault. The Maradu police are currently investigating whether more women have fallen prey to the network.

The breakthrough came following the arrest of the key operatives. The primary accused has been identified as Stoicy T. Muttath (alias Sindhu, 56), a native of Guruvayur currently residing in Aluva. She was intercepted and detained by authorities at the Mumbai International Airport and is being brought back to Kerala by the Maradu police team.
Her accomplices, Aleena Abraham (23)—a Thiruvananthapuram-based model—and Manjima (25) from Ponnani, Malappuram, have also been taken into custody. Additionally, law enforcement has identified two other syndicate members currently operating out of Dubai.

Police reports reveal that the syndicate operated out of a residential flat on Rolla Street in the Al Raffa neighbourhood of Bur Dubai. Victims were flown in on tourist visas arranged by Sindhu. Once there, the women were allegedly given sedatives slipped into their beverages. While unconscious or incapacitated, they were sexually assaulted, and the acts were filmed.

The gang reportedly used these recorded videos alongside physical violence to break the victims' resistance, threatening to dispatch the explicit footage to their families back home. To prevent them from seeking help, the perpetrators confiscated the women's mobile phones and passports.

The racket collapsed after a model hailing from Fort Kochi successfully escaped the flat, returned to Kerala, and lodged a formal complaint with the Maradu police. Since then, two more victims, including a professional beautician, have come forward with similar complaints.

The investigation noted that Aleena Abraham had uploaded promotional videos across social media platforms seeking "trendy models" for a high-profile fashion workshop scheduled for January 25 in Dubai. The recruitment was carried out under the banner of an event management firm operated by Sindhu’s Dubai-based son and daughter. Prospects were further enticed with promises of an exclusive selection entry into a grand fashion show scheduled for February.

The Kochi City Police have booked the accused under stringent provisions of the law, including human trafficking, cheating, wrongful confinement, and causing physical hurt. The investigation is progressing under the direct supervision of City Police Commissioner Kaliraj Mahesh Kumar.