Police arrest 32 in exploitation sweep
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Police arrested 32 men, including at least one who was 75 years old, in a joint sweep by the Winnipeg Police Service’s counter-exploitation unit and the RCMP human-trafficking unit.
The arrests were made in multiple locations in Winnipeg between Nov. 12 and Saturday. All the men were released on undertakings to appear in court at later dates. The youngest was 18.
Fifteen vehicles were seized under the Highway Traffic Act in the sweep, which “aimed to disrupt street-level and online sexual exploitation activities.”
Manitoba Justice’s criminal intelligence centre helped with the sweep.
“This operation reflects the continued commitment of Manitoba law enforcement to proactively combat sexual exploitation and human trafficking,” the release said.
Twenty-five people working in the sex trade were offered help, the WPS said in a news release Tuesday.
Police asked anyone with concerns about sexual exploitation to call the WPS unit at 204-986-3464, the RCMP unit at 431-335-5685, Winnipeg Crime Stoppers at 204-786-8477 (TIPS) or Manitoba Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).