The owners of "massage parlors" in Agawam, East Longmeadow, Framingham, Hadley and Northampton have been arrested on charges they trafficked women across state lines.
Four individuals - including a mother, father and daughter - were arrested Tuesday following a months-long investigation by the office of Attorney General Maura Healey, Northwestern District Attorney's Office, and the Northampton Police Department with the assistance of various other local and federal law enforcement agencies, including agencies in New York.
"Human trafficking is happening right here in our own communities across the state," said Healey said in a statement. "It is an egregious crime that victimizes vulnerable people, while traffickers profit. This is about the exploitation of human beings and my office will continue to prosecute these cases to hold traffickers and sex buyers accountable. We thank all of our law enforcement partners who assisted us in this major operation."
Feng Ling Liu, her husband Jian Song - both of Sunderland - and their daughter, Ting Ting Yin, were arrested in connection with businesses across Massachusetts and in New York.
The family owns and operate Hadley Massage Therapy in Hadley, Feng Health Center in East Longmeadow and Massage Body Work in Framingham, according to the Massachusetts attorney general's office.
Authorities allege they transported women from New York to Massachusetts to provide sexual services at the Massachusetts businesses.
Liu "managed the financial and day-to-day aspects of the operations including recruiting women, advertising sexual services online, setting up appointments for sexual encounters, and transporting women," according to a statement released by Healey's office.
Liu and her husband were arrested Tuesday in Sunderland. Massachusetts State Police executed search warrants at their three businesses and home. Their daughter was arrested in New Hyde Park, New York. All three face charges of trafficking of persons for sexual servitude, deriving support from prostitution, money laundering and conspiracy.
During the course of this investigation, authorities say they learned Shuzi Li, of West Springfield, was running a similar operation between New York and her Western Massachusetts businesses - Pine Spa NoHo in Northampton and Agawam Massage Therapy in Agawam.
Like Liu, officials allege Li recruited women in New York and arranged for them to be transported to Massachusetts. Once in the state, she allegedly provided them housing and a small portion of the profits from arranged sexual encounters.
Li was arrested in West Springfield by Massachusetts State Police Tuesday on the charges of trafficking of persons for sexual servitude, deriving support from prostitution and money laundering.
The investigations and execution of search warrants are not connected to Tuesday's search of Feeding Hills Spa by the Hampden County District Attorney's Office, but were conducted in concert.
Feeding Hills Spa under investigation for suspected human trafficking
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