Human trafficking investigators rescue 64 victims

labour trafficking ring dismantled

Mistreatment, abuse and exploitation: This is what York Regional Police discovered when the police service broke up an international labour trafficking ring operating across the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) during Project Norte.

Sixty-four Mexican-born nationals were rescued in February 2023 when officers executed search warrants at properties throughout the region.

An organized group of criminals enticed these individuals to come to Canada with promises of good work and a better life. Instead, victims found themselves living in deplorable conditions and were exploited for manual labour at farms, factories and warehouses around the GTA, where they were compelled to work long hours for little pay. Meanwhile, their exploiters reaped the benefits of their labour and lived in luxury.

“The foreign labourers were made false promises about quality of housing, their work hours and their pay,” said Detective Sergeant Gary McBride of the York Regional Police Human Trafficking Section.

“Their living conditions were overcrowded, with dozens of people sleeping on mattresses on the floor, a lack of food, a lack of privacy and bug infestations. They also described forms of coercion and control, isolation, lack of freedom, being financially bound, threats and sexual assault.”

“This was one of the most significant victim relief efforts in our police service’s history.”

detective Sergeant Gary McBride of the York Regional Police Human trafficking section

YRP received a 9-1-1 call about the labour ring in November 2022. A three-month investigation was undertaken to identify the methods of organized labour trafficking, the members of this group and the locations of the workers.

The investigation culminated on February 8, 2023 when YRP investigators, along with the Ontario Provincial Police, the Toronto Police Service and Peel Regional Police, executed warrants at five properties in East Gwillimbury, Vaughan, Toronto and Mississauga, including a farm and a large estate.

As a result, 64 workers were rescued and seven individuals were charged with multiple offences related to criminal human trafficking.

Project Norte was a victim-centric investigation. On the day of the warrants, a Victim Assistance Centre was set up to provide food, medical attention from paramedics and support from Victim Services of York Region. Spanish-speaking members of YRP, OPP and the Canada Border Services Agency were available to answer questions and allay fears.

Of the 64 people rescued, 53 accepted the offer of help and continue to be supported.

“This was one of the most significant victim relief efforts in our police service’s history,” Detective Sergeant McBride said. “We wanted to give these individuals the best reception possible to represent our police service, our region and Canada. And we wanted to make them as comfortable as possible, giving them the opportunity to talk to Spanish-speaking officers.”

Deputy Chief of Investigations Alvaro Almeida expressed his pride for both the work of YRP members and our partners.

“Our members were shocked at the conditions the victims were living in and wanted nothing more than to help in any way they could,” he said. “Their compassion was unparalleled and that was coupled with outstanding support from community partners.”

The project would not have been possible without the support of the Canada Border Services Agency, Peel and Toronto human trafficking investigators, the Provincial Human Trafficking Intelligence-Led Joint Forces Strategy or funding from Criminal Intelligence Service Ontario.

A press conference following the investigation appealed to foreign-born workers, encouraging them to reach out to police if they are being exploited and explaining that regardless of immigration status, they have the right to support and protection under Canadian law.

“When we communicated this information, we started getting calls from Spanish-speaking people who may have had precarious immigration statuses from across North America, calling to say they were part of groups being exploited,” said Detective Sergeant McBride.