More arrests made as Chesterfield Police investigate illicit massage businesses - WWBT

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RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) - More arrests have been made as Chesterfield Police continues its investigation into illicit massage businesses in the county.

On March 8, multiple agencies, including the Human Trafficking Task Force, conducted an undercover operation at Ocean Spa and Massage on Hull Street Road.

Police said Thursday in a news release that a masseuse at the location offered illicit sexual acts for an additional cost to an undercover detective.

Officers arrested Jinlan Liao, 61, Jihong Zhang, 52 and Fang Wang, 57, who are all employees at Ocean Spa. All three are facing several charges, including keeping/residing in a bawdy place and prostitution.

“The concern is that this does have a like a human trafficking aspect to it, and one of the reasons we are involved with trying to look into these things is because that is a serious concern,” said Chesterfield Police Captain Richard McCullough.

They were also charged with conducting a massage without proper permitting and committing unlawful acts in violation of the Code of the County of Chesterfield.

“I think nationwide, there’s been some concerns with some of the massage parlors conducting illegal activity, and, you know, in trying to ensure the police department for the county is keeping the county safe, and businesses are doing what they’re supposed to be doing,” said McCullough.

These arrests come two weeks after police conducted undercover operations at two other massage businesses.

“Here are two components of human trafficking: we have the sex trafficking, and we have labor trafficking,” said Ali Wall, the director of human trafficking at Safe Harbor. “And sometimes when we’re dealing with massage parlors, it’s actually both, so sometimes they are forced to engage in the work which would make it labor trafficking and then to perform sexual acts after the massage, which would make it sex trafficking.”

Four out of the five people arrested are from Flushing, New York.

“The coincidence that they’re all coming out of Flushing, it’s not coincidental, I should say,” McCullough said. “There’s got to be a reason behind that, and some of these women seem to be afraid to talk to us.”

Captain McCullough says Chesterfield Police will continue to conduct these investigations throughout the county. Anyone with information should call them at 804-748-1251.

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