Over 60 models have been taken into custody in China for working illegally under tourist visas, style site Fashionista reports.
Many of the models are from western countries and have had their passports and and mobile phones taken from them since being caught by police officials.
A source told Fashionista that in order to track down the illegal workers, police set up a fake model casting at an agency.
On Monday, the site confirmed four of the models had been arrested and "about another 60 were in custody most will probably be deported.
"The models who have been arrested have not been given a release date; our source says the earliest reported date is May 23," the site added.
Arrests have also been made in the city of Guangzhou after addresses of model apartments were disclosed to authorities in efforts to cooperate. Since this news broke, many models are urging each other to keep quiet about any illegal work they know of.
"Our source in China says that models who have not been arrested are advising one another not to open their doors to strangers, not to answer phones and not to turn on the lights in their apartments at night," Fashionista reports.
Some models have since moved to Hong Kong where it is easier to gain a work permit.
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