Bengaluru, A 37-year-old man has been arrested for cheating and trafficking nine women to Dubai on the promise of getting them jobs in a dance bar, according to an official, here on Monday.

"Basavaraj Kalasad sent nine girls to Dubai before the Covid lockdown, promising them Rs 1 lakh per month income, but actually trafficked them," Central Crime Branch (CCB) Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Kuldeep Jain told IANS.

All of them, it's suspected, would have ended up in some prostitution ring, though some of them would have gone there willingly, which the police are ascertaining.

Incidentally, the girls from several states, like Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, returned safely from Dubai on a Vandebharat flight, recently. Aged 20-25 years, the girls stuck in Dubai during the lockdown had contacted the Indian embassy to return.

"We have arrested Kalasad for cheating and human trafficking under IPC Sections 420 and 370," said Jain.

The police went after Kalasad after receiving an anonymous email about him. "We tried to trace his address in Nandini Layout, but his office was shut. We started collecting more information and were able to get him," he said.

Kalasad was randomly picked up from a hotel in the city.

The CCB has got his passport details and also information on girls who went to Dubai to continue to investigation.

The accused had set up a company 'Madrass Casting, International Events' with Chennai and Delhi addresses. Kalasad's business card boasted of supplying models and bouncers in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Canada, New Zealand and China for events, like weddings, corporate parties, film shootings, promotion and catering.

The police seized his PAN card, Aadhar card and also some United Arab Emirates identity cards.