Human trafficking victims forced to live in cold basement with no running water, Ontario police say
Four Ontario residents are facing charges linked to a human trafficking investigation where police allege the victims were forced to pay for their own accommodations in an accused's basement.
Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) say three victims were lured with the promise of a good-paying job and work permits, which police learned about after searches at locations in Simcoe County and the Greater Toronto Area last week.
- Download the CTV News app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local news updates sent to your inbox
Project Foxtrot was launched in mid-February after police say officers received information of suspected labour trafficking involving exploiting foreign nationals from Mexico.
Police say the victims were hired through a subcontractor to work at various recycling facilities in Sault Ste. Marie, North Bay, Red Deer in Alberta, and Levis in Quebec.
The facilities were not aware the workers were victims of human trafficking and have been cooperating with the investigation, police say.
The victims, three men between 27 and 42 years old, were housed in one of the accused's basements in Tottenham, Ont., which police say was cold and had no running water. They added the men were expected to sleep on an air mattress they had to purchase themselves.
OPP says the three men feared they couldn't leave and were coerced to stay and allege the accommodations were paid for out of the victims' wages, which was less than promised.
"This is modern-day slavery in its worst form," said OPP Det. Insp. Jordan Whitesell.
Officers arrested and charged two Simcoe County residents, Francisco Eluid Antionio-Olvera, 33, and Floriberta Sarmiento, 27.
Two others, Miroslaw Blachuta, 72, of Etobicoke, and Mikhael Akin, 53, of Halton, are also charged in the human trafficking investigation.
"Project Foxtrot demonstrates the exploitation of human trafficking victims in plain sight and the necessity of the IJFS (Intelligence-led Joint Forces Strategy) and its partners to help unmask this crime. It serves as a stark reminder that human trafficking remains a largely clandestine and complex crime that easily goes unnoticed.
We must come together to educate ourselves, recognize the signs, empower survivors and provide hope to victims to combat this hidden threat. We cannot fight this alone," stated OPP Det. Insp. Jordan Whitesell.
Provincial police say they continue to investigate to determine if there are more victims. They ask anyone in a similar situation to come forward.
The OPP says members from various police services, including Barrie, Kingston, Ottawa, Sudbury, Quebec, and York Region, supported the investigation, along with the Canadian Border Services Agency and the Ministry of Labour.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
"It's a bit of a complicated pattern; we've got a lot going on," said Jennifer Smith of the Meteorological Service of Canada in an interview with CTVNews.ca on Wednesday. "[As is] typical with weather, all of these things are related."
Police tangle with students in Texas and California as wave of campus protest against Gaza war grows
Police tangled with student demonstrators in Texas and California while new encampments sprouted Wednesday at Harvard and other colleges as school leaders sought ways to defuse a growing wave of pro-Palestinian protests.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.