Human trafficking victims rescued from captors in operation led by Mississauga, Brampton cops
Published May 30, 2023 at 10:29 am
Several victims of human trafficking have been rescued from their alleged captors in a sweeping police operation that has also led to numerous charges laid and the recovery of drugs and other property.
Details of the Peel Regional Police-led investigation will be revealed tomorrow morning (May 31) at Peel Regional Police headquarters in Mississauga.
Numerous charges have been laid and drugs and property seized in the wake of Project Pacific, a wide-ranging probe carried out by investigators with Peel’s Specialized Enforcement Bureau Vice Unit along with various other law enforcement agency partners.
Peel police, who’ll host a news conference at 10 a.m., said numerous officers with different police forces “…have engaged in an intensive and multifaceted investigation resulting in the rescue of several human trafficking survivors, charges laid, along with drugs and property seized.”
Human trafficking has become a fast-rising concern in many parts of Canada, particularly in Mississauga and Brampton in recent years.
The two cities’ proximity to major transportation hubs puts the area at risk for sex trafficking activities. Some 62 per cent of Canadian human trafficking cases originate in the GTA, in part due to access to major highways and Pearson Airport.
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In 2022, Region of Peel officials approved a $2.1 million human trafficking plan aimed at protecting those who could be victimized and bringing to justice those who are involved in the criminal activity.
Peel officials and police say human sex trafficking impacts the lives of many people, primarily women, with victims facing long-lasting effects of trauma. The average age of victims is 12 to 24, and Ontario accounts for more than 70 per cent of reported cases in Canada.
In February of this year, it was announced that an Ontario-wide enforcement initiative launched in late 2021 had resulted in numerous arrests and charges laid as of early 2023.
If you’re a victim or survivor of human sex trafficking or forced labour, or you know someone who is, contact the Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-833-900-1010.
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