Bhubaneswar: Police are yet to nab the spa owner who had employed three women from Thailand and allegedly engaged them in flesh trade.

The police said that though they had been conducting frequent raids to trace the owner, Srinivas Nanda, he was still on the run. The cops suspect Nanda of hiring women directly from Thailand.

"We came to know that he and his friends frequently went to Thailand. So, we suspect he might have been contacting the women directly without involving pimps," said a police official, adding that one of the three customers arrested during the raid was also a frequent traveller to Thailand.

"During the raid, he claimed to be the manager of the spa. We found that he had visited Thailand dozens of times. So, we are also looking into his role in the case," he said. The three foreign nationals were rescued, along with two other women, last week during a raid on the spa at Kharavela Nagar. At present, the rescued women are lodged at a shelter home near Jatni on the city outskirts.

The police said they were waiting for a reply from the Thai embassy, after which the women would be either handed over to the embassy official or to their family. "The embassy will ascertain the antecedents of the women. We have also sought legal assistance for cancellation of their visas," said the police official.

The women were found in Bhubaneswar on tourist visa, but they were allegedly being paid their services at the spa.

The centre used to provide massage service and paid sex to customers costing between Rs 1,800 and Rs 4,000 per client.