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Two people have been charged as part of a human trafficking case that RCMP allege involved more than half a million dollars funnelled through casinos in three provinces.
RCMP said its Nova Scotia Provincial Human Trafficking Unit (HTU) began a sex trafficking investigation in 2023 that involved “multiple victims” in the province.
Over the course of the investigation, police said they identified connections to New Brunswick and Ontario.
“Investigators’ main priority in any human trafficking investigation is the safety of the victims,” said Sgt. Jeff MacFarlane with the HTU in a release.
“As officers began working with the victims, they connected them with appropriate resources in addition to putting together evidence to support criminal charges.”
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Investigators say a 49-year-old Porters Lake man and a 43-year-old Chester Basin woman were arrested on April 10 during a traffic stop on Highway 102 near Milford, N.S.
The man is charged with 13 offences related to human trafficking and money laundering. He remains in custody pending his next court appearance on April 20.
The woman was also arrested for human trafficking and proceeds of crime offences, and has been released on conditions until her next court appearance.
MacFarlane said police recognized the “strength and courage of the victims who came forward,” adding their cooperation “helped dismantle a sex trafficking network and protect others from being victimized.”
Recent data from Statistics Canada showed Nova Scotia continues to have the highest rate of human trafficking incidents reported by police at triple the national average.
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