Police charge almost three dozen in human-trafficking investigation

Police officers in Nova Scotia along with the OPP and 52 other police services in Canada, as well as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the United States, participated in Operation Northern Spotlight last week.

Operation Northern Spotlight is an ongoing initiative to identify victims of human trafficking. This year’s project was conducted over a six-day period last week in various municipalities and jurisdictions across the country. Forty police agencies from Ontario; 15 additional police services and several RCMP municipal detachments across Canada participated in this phase of Operation Northern Spotlight.

During the coordinated investigations, police charged 32 people with 78 offences. Police were also able to ensure the safety of 16 people who had been working in the sex trade as minors or against their will, including 14, 15, and 16-year-olds. 391 officers and support staff combined to interview 379 people – who were mainly women but included one male and two transgender persons.