Kalpetta: Police have arrested a man who was on the run after allegedly defrauding a Thiruvananthapuram native of ₹44 lakh by promising jobs in the UK for the family, including a person with autism.

The arrested, Johnson Saviour (51), is a native of Muttil near Kalpetta. His wife and second accused, Anna Grace Austin, remains at large. A special police team is conducting search operations to locate and apprehend her. “We are tracking her mobile phones, and cyber experts are examining her vlogs to trace the device used for uploading them,” an official said.

The couple allegedly lured the family by assuring them that the person with autism would receive special treatment facilities in the UK and that the entire family would be granted a visa. Convinced by their claims, the victims remitted large sums of money, much of which they had borrowed from relatives.

Anna Grace, a YouTube vlogger based in Kozhikode, has over two lakh followers on Instagram, where she promotes overseas job opportunities. According to the investigation team, multiple cases have been registered against the couple in various police stations across the state.

Police suspect the involvement of more people in the fraudulent network, which is believed to have links to multiple cities. Investigators are also verifying whether more victims have fallen prey to the couple’s job scam.

The investigation, led by DySP L Shyju, is being closely monitored by District Police Chief Taposh Basumatari. A police team comprising Inspector Biju Antony, Sub-Inspector Ram Kumar, and Civil Police Officers Girija, Arun Raj, and Lin Raj arrested the accused.