Thiruvananthapuram | The SIT probing the alleged sexual exploitation of a minor at a spa in Kovalam here has arrested a woman agent from Bengaluru, police said on Thursday.

The arrested woman, identified as Vani, allegedly trafficked girls and women to spas, they said.

She is the seventh person to be arrested in the case and will be brought to Thiruvananthapuram soon.

According to Special Investigation Team (SIT) officials, a relative of the minor from Andhra Pradesh had allegedly sold the girl to Vani, who later shifted her to different spas.

Vani also operated spas in Bengaluru, police said.

The investigation began after the girl's maternal aunt, who had raised her, lodged a missing complaint on September 21.

After the girl was traced, she disclosed during counselling that she had been brought to a spa in the Kovalam area in late June or early July and had stayed there for around two months.

She subsequently spent about four days at another spa, police said.

Based on the investigation, police arrested the owners of the two spas.

The girl also told investigators that she had worked at a spa in Guduvanchery, near Chennai, where she was allegedly subjected to similar abuse.

A zero FIR was registered in connection with that allegation and forwarded to the concerned police station in Chennai, police said.

The girl's maternal aunt and her husband subsequently went missing, prompting police to trace them to Palasamudram in Andhra Pradesh's Sri Sathya Sai district.

The SIT later arrested Thiruvananthapuram Corporation junior health inspector Anuroop, who allegedly had financial transactions with those running the spa.

On Wednesday, the SIT arrested Maya, a temporary health inspector with Nagaroor grama panchayat, after investigators found that money from the spa had been transferred to her bank accounts, officials said.