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Forced LaborArchive 2008–2016

Forced Labor in Elmvale, Ontario (2009)

A forced labor case from 2009 in Elmvale, Ontario, Canada. 1 source on file.

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What happened

A Taiwanese woman, known in Canada by three different names, worked for a Filipino recruitment agency. She met the 11 men when they arrived in Toronto. She told them the employer had backed out of the deal (a lie) and they would have to relocate to a different job site. Together with a man pretending to be a lawyer, she confiscated their passports and visas, and they delivered the men to a business man in an abandoned farmhouse north of Toronto. The twice bankrupt "lawyer" denies he received money from the business man for delivering the 11 workers. Both the "lawyer" and the woman had previous arrest warrants in the Philippines for illegal recruitment and fraud. The man seems to have been involved in human trafficking before. A week after the Elmvale release, the business man who kept the 11 men enrolled the "lawyer" to recruit 191 workers for him, but this time the business man did not receive the legal visas (LMO's) The workers, threatened with deportation, by the man who "bought" them. Http://www.thestar.com/News/GTA/Article/488074 http://canadaimmigration.typepad.com/canada_immigration/2008/09/08/index.html

Response and intervention

The Filipino government closed down Cete Millenium and Sanlee recruitment agencies. The RCMP was called in by the F. embassy (Frank Luna the labour attaché) After months of investigations by the RCMP and the Canada Border Services Agency, no charges have been laid because the initial investigator feels there was not enough "fear for their safety or their lives," After 6 weeks in captivity, one of the 11 victims, escaped and managed to contact the Filipino embassy officials. A few days later the other 10 men were rescued by Filipino consular staff. Facing deportation, 5 were hired by Cover-All Building Systems and now work as welders for that company in Saskatoon. The rest of the men are in Canada also, working elsewhere in Saskatchewan, or in Alberta and British Columbia. One of the victims, escaped and managed to contact the Filipino embassy officials.

Sources

Nearby cases

All 41 in Canada →
Sex Trafficking2011

Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada, 2011

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January 9, 2012, Mr. REID pleaded guilty to Human Trafficking, Possession of a Loaded Firearm and Possession of Firearm While Prohibited. January 13, 2012, Jason REID, appeared before The Honourable Justice Richard Blouin at the Ontario Court of Justice in Newmarket and was sentenced to four years in prison, in addition to the 107 days of pre-trial custody he has already served. He has also been issued a lifetime weapons prohibition and been ordered to provide a mandatory DNA sample.

3 sourcesArchive 2008–2016
Sex Trafficking2004

Richmond Hill, Canada, 2004

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On Tuesday, March 2, 2004, York Regional Police responded to a break and enter in progress at a residence on Weldrick Road West, in the Town of Richmond Hill. What they found upon their arrival, however, had little to do with a break-in. At approximately 12:30 p.m., investigating officers found a woman inside the home, who revealed she and two other females were being held against their will. The three had arrived separately from Russia in the fall of 2003 and began working for Toronto escort services. They would meet numerous clients in various hotels throughout the GTA and provide sexual services. During the month of February, two of the victims, aged 19 and 23, attended a hotel on separate occasions, for what they assumed was a regular meeting with a client. However, upon their arrival, the victims were forcibly removed from the hotel and taken to a residence in Richmond Hill. The third 20-year-old victim was removed from the home she shared with the 19-year-old victim. Their documents and cell phones were taken from them and although they were allowed a certain level of freedom, they were threatened and told their families in Russia were at risk. The victims were driven to and from the Arther’s Spa on Finch Avenue on a daily basis, forced to provide sexual services and turn over their earnings to the owners.

1 sourceArchive 2008–2016
Sex Trafficking2010

Vaughan, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 2010

Canada CA

Police charged a Toronto man with human trafficking after a woman was forced to perform sex acts for drug money. Acting on a tip, York Regional Police launched their investigation in December after arresting a man in Vaughan for an unrelated matter. The 28-year-old woman was forced to “do sexual acts in order to obtain some money,” said Det.-Sgt. Henry Deruiter. Investigators also alleged the woman was forced to help a man commit crimes. Investigators were told there are at least a couple of other victims connected to the case. Officers want to find them. “We don’t know where they are, GTA I’d say,” he said. Mark Stewart, 49, faces many charges, including trafficking in persons, assault, and three counts of sexual assault.

Needs a sourceArchive 2008–2016