Three arrested in Niagara human trafficking investigation

Niagara police say they have arrested three people from the Niagara area in connection with a human trafficking investigation.

On Dec. 1, Niagara’s Human Trafficking Unit arrested a 36-year-old St. Catharines man who is facing the following charges:

• Luring a child via telecommunications for the purpose of obtaining sexual services for consideration under 18 years, contrary to Section 172.1(1)(1)(a) of the Criminal Code
• Obtaining sexual services for consideration from a person under 18 years, contrary to Section 286.1(2) of the Criminal Code

According to police, the incident associated with the St. Catharines man is “subject to a judicial publication ban and as such, his name cannot be released.”

On Dec. 2, 33 year-old Gurpreet Singh and 22-year-old Mehdi Budak, both from Niagara Falls, are facing the following charges:

• Luring a child via telecommunications for the purpose of obtaining sexual services for consideration under 18 years, contrary to Section 172.1(1)(1)(a) of the Criminal Code
• Obtaining sexual services for consideration from a person under 18 years, contrary to Section 286.1(2) of the Criminal Code

In an email to CHCH News, Niagara Regional Police Service Chief Bill Fordy said, “These arrests reflect the unwavering commitment of our members to protecting those who are most vulnerable to exploitation. Human trafficking is a predatory and deeply harmful crime, and these results send a clear message that this behaviour will not be tolerated in our community.”

Authorities are encouraging survivors of human trafficking to contact the Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-833-900-1010 or on their website.

Those wishing to provide information anonymously about this investigation or other human trafficking cases can do so through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or on their website.

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