An investigative report by Thomson Reuters and the Globe and Mail has identified the City of Belleville as a main hub for human and sex trafficking.
The report looks at the connection between human and sex trafficking with missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.
It found that province of Ontario was a key area to where victims of trafficking would originate.
“Belleville police recognize that, as a community located along one of Ontario’s busiest transportation corridors, our region can be impacted by crimes that cross municipal and provincial boundaries, including human and sex trafficking,” Strategic Communications Coordinator for the Belleville Police Service, Lauren Wilkinson, said in a statement to Quinte News.
“Our investigators actively investigate reports of human and sex trafficking and related offences and take all information received seriously.”
Belleville to Edmonton, Alberta is identified as a transportation corridor that traffickers use.
“The Belleville-to-Edmonton route referenced in the article is one of several transportation corridors identified through data analysis,” Wilkinson explained.
“These corridors reflect movement patterns, and communities along major highways can be impacted by organized criminals who exploit transportation networks to move victims between locations.”
Other corridors identified in the article include Toronto and Vancouver, BC, as well as Edmonton to Fort McMurray, Alberta, and Calgary to Edmonton.
Wilkinson says anyone with information about suspected trafficking is encouraged to contact Belleville police.
“The Belleville Police Service remains committed to identifying victims, holding offenders accountable, and working with provincial, national, and community partners to address human and sex trafficking,” Wilkinson said.
“While we cannot comment on specific ongoing investigations, all reports are assessed and investigated appropriately. Anyone with information about suspected human trafficking is encouraged to contact the Belleville Police Service or Crime Stoppers.”
You can read the full report at the Globe and Mail’s website (subscription required).
