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
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.