Police from Windsor, Lasalle, Amherstburg and beyond are celebrating a small victory in the fight against human trafficking.
A joint operation, carried out earlier this month, has resulted in more than 100 charges laid against dozens of people. But more importantly 20 women have been rescued.
Police have activated Operation Northern Spotlight. It’s a North American initiative geared only to the problem of human trafficking and it involved 350 officers from more than 40 agencies targeting women who were being held against their will and forced to work most often in the sex trade.
On a local level, officers spoke to 18 female sex trade workers from all parts of the province including Ottawa, GTA and Essex County. The ranged in age from 17 to 39.
Police say all individuals were provided safety plans and resources to exit the sex trade.
For this operation, Windsor area hotels were contacted and used as the location for the interventions.
In Windsor none of the women admitted to police they were being forced to work in the sex trade -- and none of the 47 people charged are from this region.
