4 women, 1 man charged in Ontario human trafficking case involving 13 victims
Four women and one man have been charged in connection with year-long human trafficking investigation in Mississauga that police say involved 13 victims who "came to Canada for a better life" but were instead coerced into working in the sex trade.
On Wednesday morning, police held a news conference to announce charges in the investigation, dubbed “Project Pacific, which was launched in April of 2022.
“The Peel Regional Police vice unit received a community complaint regarding an illegal bawdy house operating out of a condominium apartment in the city of Mississauga,” Det. David Laing told reporters at Peel police headquarters on Wednesday.
“Vice investigators identified a criminal network operating multiple illegal bawdy houses within the city of Mississauga. It was determined that these illegal bawdy houses were being openly advertised for sexual services on the internet.”
- Download our app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
He said the suspects in the case exploited the vulnerabilities of the victims to “coerce and manipulate them into working and living within these illegal bawdy houses.”
“All 13 victims in this investigation are of Chinese descent and have varying immigration status,” Laing added.
David Laing, Det. Specialized Enforcement Bureau, speaks to the media on May 31, 2023. (CTV News Toronto)
“One thing that all of these victims had in common was that they came to Canada for a better life, however 12 of these victims were recruited domestically.”
Search warrants were carried in Mississauga, Milton, and Markham on March 27 and as a result, two women were arrested.
Leung Ngai, a 59-year-old Milton resident, was charged with exercising control, direction of influence, three counts of deriving material benefit from sexual services, communicating for the purpose for consideration for sexual service, three counts of trafficking a controlled substance, and two counts of possession for the purpose of trafficking.
Yuan Yuan Zhang, a 39-year-old Markham woman, was charged with six counts of communicating for the purpose for consideration for sexual service.
Police say the search warrants resulted in the seizure of Canadian and U.S. currency, multiple cellphones and other electronic storage devices, and a quantity of drugs.
On April 5, another round of search warrants were executed on five homes and two vehicles, leading to the arrest of two more women, police say. Drugs and Canadian currency were also seized.
Yu-Hobley Lan, a 63-year-old Mississauga resident, was charged with exercising control, direction or influence, three counts of deriving material benefit from sexual service, and possession of a controlled substance.
Kwai Lin Tso, a 55-year-old woman who also resides in Mississauga, was charged with communicating for the purpose for consideration for sexual service, and possession for the purpose of trafficking.
Police say a 71-year-old man was also arrested in connection with the case on April 14. Eamonn Handrahan, of Mississauga, was charged with one count of possession for the purpose of trafficking.
“Investigators anticipate additional charges to be laid against members of this criminal network for their financial gain and exploitation of the victims identified as we continue to gather and review the abundance of evidence seized throughout this investigation,” Laing said.
“As we believe there are additional victims and witnesses, we ask them to come forward.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.