COPS are hunting a photographer who fled Dubai after snapping the infamous "Butt Squad" pics of a group of naked models.
The models – who have now been deported back to Ukraine – were accused of "offending public decency" after posing naked on a balcony in the United Arab Emirates.
At least 11 Ukrainian women were detained by cops on charges of public debauchery and producing pornography.
The images and clips of the women tore through social media after the stunt – sending shockwaves through Dubai where a legal code based on Islamic law, or Shariah, has landed foreigners in jail for tamer offences.
Russian photographer Alexander Ten has admitted he was the mystery photographer behind the nude images.
Ten is now wanted by cops in Dubai over his role in the racy shoot after fleeing the city before the police crackdown, according to reports.
The Ukrainian-American organiser of the controversial shoot – Vitaliy Grechin, 41 – is believed to be still in custody in Dubai, amid fears he faces up to 18 months in jail.
And a Russian IT company boss Alexey Kontsov, 33, who allegedly posted pictures of the stunt is also thought to still be in custody.
Speaking to Russian news outlet Life, Ten admitted he shot the balcony pics – but blamed Grechin for the scandal.
"I do not know that I am wanted in Dubai," he said.
"I did not offer anything. I am an ordinary photographer. This was a special shoot for Vitaliy Grechin and his needs.
"I was told to arrive at the appointed time and place and take pictures of the girls, so I arrived. I was personally hired by Grechin."
Kontsov's Russian company, Involta, claimed both Grechin and Konstov have been detained on "charges of a crime they did not commit".
In a statement, the company insisted Konstov is innocent and claimed he played no role in filming the naked women.
"He was accused of violating the norms of public morality and organising an indecent photo session. These charges are false," a statement from the company said.
"The women in the picture are Vitaliy Grechin's close friends, with whom he has traveled before.
"On that day, they were relaxing with Vitaliy in the pool of the house where Alexey lived. There was a photographer Alexander Ten with them.
"In the evening, the group was allowed to go up to Alexey's apartment to change their clothes. They stayed there for only half an hour.
The statement added: "At this time the girls went out onto the balcony to admire the view. Alexander Ten, the photographer, suggested they pose for a photograph."
The company claims that a video taken from a nearby building shows it was Ten who photographed the girls on the balcony – not Konstov.
"The presence of Aleksander Ten is confirmed by police documents in Dubai," the company said.
"Alexander Ten is wanted in Dubai regarding this case."
Russian news outlet Mash published a document in Arabic purporting to show that Ten is wanted by the authorities in Dubai.
Ten responded to the claims from the IT company and said: "The fact that Involta accused me of offering to take this photo is an absolute fake.
"I believe that the Involta company made such a statement to seek to free Kontsov."
A number of women – believed to include Russian adult star Alex Lolly – also managed to escape Dubai before the organisers and models were detained, it is alleged.
One model, recently freed from jail, said as many as ten models had escaped before the crackdown.
Dubai is a top destination for the worlds Instagram influencers and models, who fill their social media feeds with slick bikini-clad selfies from the coastal emirates luxury hotels and artificial islands.
But the city's brand as a glitzy foreign tourist destination has at times provoked controversy and collided with the sheikhdoms strict rules governing public behavior and expression.
One of the models, from Ukraine, has been revealed as a lawyer.
The family of Yana Graboshchuk, 27, say they thought she was on holiday and her involvement in the shoot came as a shock to them.
She has been identified through her distinctive tattoo which matches her social media pictures – though it's unclear if Yana is among those detained.
Yana’s brother Taras, 20, said family had no idea why she was visiting the city and were “shocked” when they found out what she had been up to in Dubai.
“She went on holiday, and then I don't know what came next," he said.
'TREATED US LIKE MURDERERS'
One of the models said ten of the women fled Dubai on April 3, and 14 remained in the city, according to Russian newspaper Strana.
She claimed the authorities treated the models "like murderers" after they were detained.
"They took absolutely everything away from us, shooed us, took us into a room with one mattress for 12 girls," she said.
"We were not fed all day, and at night they brought tasteless rice with a terrible gravy.
"It turned out to be one of the best meals except for bread, which was given at 4am.
“Then they put us in cells where they throw people who riot. Here we were shut away for at least two days.
"People slept, ate, went to the toilet and felt like dying."
She added: "I will never again go to Dubai. I learned about so many dark sides of those people from prisoners. It was disgusting to be there."
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