Twenty-two people have been arrested in Pennsylvania in connection with a human trafficking scheme involving two massage businesses, according to officials.
Seán M. McCormack, District Attorney for Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, stated in a press statement on Tuesday that the arrests were made during numerous operations over the last month. Officials further stated that additional arrests are expected in conjunction with this investigation.
The operation, known as Closed2Trafficking, aims to “focus on illegal commercial sexual trafficking and individual exploitation,” according to a news statement. It was carried out in conjunction with ongoing operations known as Impact Demand, which aim to target sex trade customers, according to officials.
The attorney’s office stated it had issued search warrants at two massage parlors in Carlisle, Pennsylvania: GL Massage and Li’s Asian Massage.
Carlisle is located around 25 miles west of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
Here’s what you should know about the arrests.
Warrants at massage parlors result in arrests.
According to the announcement, arrests occurred between October and early November. The initial arrests occurred in October when six men were detained for allegedly “promoting prostitution.”
Then, on November 6, a Flushing, New York resident was arrested for prostitution following a warrant search at GL Massage. Other arrests were made at Li’s Spa, including two people from Flushing, New York, and one lady from Newport, Pennsylvania, who were charged with prostitution.
According to the district attorney, 13 males were arrested on November 8 as part of another prostitution investigation.
“Unfortunately, human trafficking exists here in Cumberland County and today’s operation is part of our ongoing effort to root out human trafficking and to send a message that Cumberland County is not the place to set up one of these operations,” McCormack said in a statement. “Cumberland County is ‘Closed to Human Trafficking.'”
