Transcription
Good evening. Halton police have made several arrests in what they're calling the largest human trafficking investigation in the service's history.
As Adamson tells us, nine people were arrested, many of them from the same family. We believe that some of the accused in this case utilized coercion, deception, manipulation, and psychological harm to maintain control, direction, or influence over the victims.
Halton police unveiled the results of Project Trouador, a 10-month multi-jurisdiction investigation into a human trafficking case that resulted in the arrest of nine people and led to 85 criminal charges.
It was the mental toughness of a survivor that broke this case wide open. And in liberating herself, she's liberating others.
In September of last year, a woman who claimed to have been trafficked for 15 years spoke to Halton police about her experience. And that's when Project Trouador was launched.
I couldn't tell you what motivated her to come come forward. Uh but we are sure appreciative that she did. Um her actions will protect other women in the future from being approached by uh human traffickers.
Thanks to her incredible courage, what ensued was a large-scale 10-month multi-jurisdiction investigation that uncovered an additional 11 victims who were subjected to commercial sexual exploitation over an extended period of time.
On July 13th, with the help of several police services, including Hamilton and Niagara, the Halton Police Human Trafficking Unit executed search warrants at 10 residences across the GTA. Five in Halton, four in Peele, and one in Toronto.
Police seized three high-end vehicles, a Lamborghini in two Mercedes-Benz, $450,000 worth of jewelry, and cash and drugs. All told, just under a million dollars worth.
The victims range in age from 18 to 34. And police say they were being advertised for sexual services online across Canada.
They were being trafficked across the country. Actually, we have evidence to support um British Columbia, Alberta, here in Ontario. Um and we believe there are other provinces involved, but we're still investigating.
Halton police are working with local agencies, including Savis of Halton, to get the women the help they need. Adam Atinson, CHCH News, Oakville.