Police arrest suspects linked to illegal massage parlors - FOX 10 News Phoenix

[massage]

Police are serving search warrants to three valley homes on Wednesday morning as part of an investigation into illegal massage parlors.

Three massage parlors in the Valley were raided along with at least three homes. Investigators say they are looking into a suspected prostitution ring, and several people have been arrested.

Police and the Arizona Attorney General served at least six search warrants in connection with an investigation into a suspected illegal enterprise involving Asian massage parlors in the Phoenix area. Five people have been arrested and there are two other outstanding suspects.

The five people arrested are:

• Huiqin Dai, 47
• Fengqin Ye, 57
• Min Yu, 45
• Ding Hengxia, 55
• Brian Groff, 50

Agents raided the businesses and homes in Glendale, Phoenix, and Scottsdale Wednesday morning.

"This office has made it a priority to go after human sex trafficking organizations," said Attorney General Mark Brnovich. "Our Special Agents will continue to aggressively uncover and dismantle these types of illicit criminal enterprises."

Investigators say the massage parlors are suspected of laundering money and are involved in human sex trafficking with links back to China. Agents believe the massage parlors moved over $600,000 a year.

The four women have been charged with operating a house of prositution, illegal control of an enterprise, money laundering and conspiracy to commit felony violations. Groff was not charged with money laundering.


This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service - if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php#publishers.