Hamilton police crackdown on illegal massage parlours

The Hamilton Police human trafficking unit teamed up with Canada Border Agency Services, the RCMP, Ministry of Finance and the city licensing and by-law department on Project Orchid.

The project was carried out to protect potentially vulnerable women and targeted body-rub parlours and personal wellness service establishments to ensure they were complying with business license requirements.

Three people were arrested for immigration offences and four men were issued warnings about paying for sexual services.

By-law and licensing infractions were also laid after the investigation revealed the majority of the nine establishments in Hamilton were found to offer sexual acts, a violation of the city’s bylaw.