Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - November 01, 2008, Winnipeg, Manitoba C m y k Page a6 a 6 Winnipeg free press saturday november 1, 2008 saturday special Winnipeg repress. Com o Ottawa Winnipeg police Are investigating a Domestic human trafficking incident that could Lead to the first charges in Manitoba under new Federal criminal Laws. Det. Sgt. Gene Bowers a detective in the Winnipeg police service vice unit said he cant provide Many details of the current Case but he said it involves victims brought to Winnipeg from another jurisdiction in Canada and that the police Are working with authorities elsewhere. Its in the investigative stages he said. One source tells the free press two Young girls were rescued in the Case. News of the Case comes just As Winnipeg conservative my Joy Smith is hosting a conference in East St. Paul on the subject of human trafficking. Smith has made human trafficking the Central cause of her political career and is hoping those in her Hometown begin to become More aware that there Are victims of human trafficking potentially right under their noses. I find out every Day people dont know we have it happening Here in Canada Smith said. They think its in Thailand or in Eastern Europe. Its been under the radar screen Here for a Long Long time. Human trafficking is often referred to As the modern Day slave Trade involving As Many As 600,000 to 800,000 people a year and providing traffickers upwards of $ 5 billion in Revenue. The United nations defines it As the recruitment transportation Transfer harbouring or receipt of persons using threats Force fraud or deception. Most of the victims Are women about half Are minors and about 70 per cent Are trafficked for the purpose of sexual exploitation. Others end up in forced labour situations often As Domestic help such As nannies or in drug operations. Victims often Are lured away with promises of Good jobs such As modelling contracts but when they end up at their destination their identification is seized and they Are threatened if they dont comply with their traffickers demands. Often threats Are made against friends and family As a Way to keep the victims compliant. Bowers said one of the difficulties in investigating the cases is that victims Arentt always aware of what has happened or Are too scared to speak to authorities. Human trafficking can be both Domestic and International in scope. The u. S. State departments 2008 report on human trafficking says Canada is a source transit and destination country for human traffickers who make billions each year moving people around for prostitution or slave labour operations such As work As nannies or in drug operations. The report estimates 600 to 800 people Are trafficked into Canada each year and another 1,500 to 2,000 victims Are transported through Canada annually mainly on the Way into the u. S. The number of Domestic victims is not in that report. In Manitoba it is believed a number of victims Are sought on the Tough poverty Ridden streets of intercity Winnipeg we Are aware that Winnipeg is one of the cities recruiters come and try to move people to other jurisdictions for the purpose of sexual exploitation Bowers said. Its also feared victims May be sought out on Northern reserves. Bowers said possibility of human trafficking has been factored into the investigations of a number of missing aboriginal women in Manitoba. What we believe is there is movement from North to South he said. A conference in Winnipeg last year was told there Are at least 500 aboriginal Canadian women missing. If As seems Likely the majority of them have been drawn into the Trade in sexually exploited women the number gives a hint at How huge a presence trafficking has in Canada. There Are currently 15 investigations and prosecutions of human trafficking underway in Canada at least 12 of which involve Canadian women and girls who were trafficked domestically. The first guilty finding under Canadas new human trafficking Laws which took effect just three years ago came this past May when a Toronto Man pled guilty to two counts of human trafficking for forcing two teenage girls into prostitution. One victim was told her brother would be abducted if she tried to leave or was told shed have to pay $ 50,000. She estimated she had earned the Man $ 360,000 Over the 26 months she worked for him. Both victims had been reported missing by their parents. Their services were sold via the internet. Bowers said though some victims Are sent out onto the Street Many Are forced to work in Massage Parlours strip clubs or private brothels and advertisements for girls can be found All Over the internet. Canadas criminal code was amended in 2005 to make human trafficking an offence carrying a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison. The Law defines trafficking As the recruitment transporting transferring receipt holding concealment or harbouring of a person or the exercise of control direction or influence Over the movements of a person for the purpose of exploiting them or facilitating their exploitation. Canada also made it an indictable offence to Benefit financially or otherwise from the trafficking of a person and to destroy records to facilitate the trafficking of persons. Those offences carry maximum sentences of 10 and five years in prison respectively. Federal and provincial authorities including police and Community groups Are working together to identify possible victims and raise awareness among people who work with potential victims to help identify when human trafficking has occurred. Bowers said that in Manitoba there is a Multi jurisdictional Effort going on involving Winnipeg police the ramp Border services the salvation army and a few others to create a response team for victims of human trafficking. The Winnipeg police service is also in the process of having a new policy on human trafficking approved. Bowers said making All agencies aware of the Issue is critical. As a result he will shortly speak to the new police recruit class about it. Its the front line members that need to know How to identify it said Bowers. He said police who come across a girl on the streets might Twig to her being a trafficking victim if for example she has no identification on her or says she lives in a particular spot but does not actually know the address or any of the surrounding landmarks. With More awareness More people can be rescued Bowers said. He said Manitoba a snot yet had a reported Case of International human trafficking but that does not mean it Isnit happening Here. With education its just a matter of time until we find one he said. Statistics from the Federal government show Between May 2006 and May 2008, 31 foreign nationals were identified by Canadian immigration officials As potential trafficking victims. Four of them were minors. Benjamin Perrin a University of British Columbia Law professor and expert on human trafficking is studying the Issue and keeping track of the statistics. He said the government would not release where the victims were heading but he said its quite Clear Winnipeg is a potential destination. We still do not have a Clear picture of where the victims Are ending up Perrin said. But were finding our cases Are not confined Only to the three major cities. Perrin is speaking at Smiths conference today and is also spending time while in Winnipeg meeting with police and Community groups to try and identify How bad the problem has become in the City. Perrin noted that trafficking does not actually require a victim be moved to a different City. Smith said the Federal government has made some strides toward cracking Down on human trafficking but she said so much More needs to be done. We need a National strategy for this she said. You cant sleep at night when you know this is happening. Mia. Rabson free press. My. Ca were on the slave trades main line Rescue in Winnipeg May throw Light on a hidden disgrace Mia Rabson Reforma Archive / associated press mexican authorities took this x Ray photo of a truck compartment used to smuggle labourers from Guatemala. Slave labour and prostitution Are the components of human trafficking. Joy Smith has made human trafficking the Central cause of her political career. A 06_ nov 01 08. Ind a6 10/ 31/ 08 9 59 50 pm ;