MANAMA, Jul 29 (GDN): Police have broken up an elaborate human trafficking ring that allegedly lured teenage Indian girls to Bahrain to work as hotel dancers.

Three Indian men, aged 28, 29 and 38, were yesterday remanded in custody for 20 days, charged with trafficking. They were arrested after two Indian girls were stopped at Bahrain International Airport with fake passports, claiming they were here to visit their father. During questioning the girls admitted they were just 17 and 18 years old, claimed they had been "sold" in India and said they were coming to Bahrain to work as housemaids, according to court documents.

However, prosecutors believe the traffickers intended them to work as nightclub dancers. During initial questioning, the girls gave police the phone number of the 38-year-old suspect, who was allegedly masquerading as their father. Officers arrested him at the airport, where he had gone to meet them, followed soon by the other two men.

The 29-year-old is understood to be the ringleader, allegedly agreeing to pay his co-defendants BD400 a month in exchange for the girls. He also allegedly agreed to pay the bogus father BD80 a month for keeping up the masquerade.