Police: Illegal Knightdale massage parlor used for human trafficking - WRAL.com

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Knightdale, N.C. — The owner of an illegal Knightdale massage parlor was arrested Thursday on human trafficking charges.

Ri Ping Lan, 42, of 120 Palmdale Court in Holly Springs, was charged with human trafficking and promoting prostitution. She remains in the Wake County jail under a $250,000 bond.

Lan was arrested at Zen Massage, at 4021 Village Park Drive, which Knightdale police said was operating without a license. The massage parlor was locked shut on Friday.

Police on Thursday searched the massage parlor, Lan's Holly Springs home and a business at 905-A McKnight Drive in Knightdale, which is around the corner from the massage parlor.

"Paying for sexual favors is not a victimless crime," Knightdale Police Chief Lawrence Capps said in a statement. "We cannot condition ourselves to believe it is harmless or that the girls and young women working in these illegal establishments are there by choice."

Massage parlors have been a haven for human trafficking across North Carolina and in many other states, according to authorities.

"This is a big problem, and this is a big problem in North Carolina," Charles Wilkins, general counsel of the North Carolina Board of Massage and Bodywork Therapy, told WRAL Investigates in August.

A new state law designed to crack down on human trafficking gives the board more authority to vet licensees in North Carolina and hold the owners of illicit massage parlors accountable. It also gives police more power to shut down businesses with license issues.

Knightdale police brought in advocates from Salvation Army’s Project Fight and Justice Matters, which both specialize in supporting human trafficking victims, to assist in the investigation.

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