Seven people were charged in connection to a human trafficking ring after multiple raids in Macomb County, the prosecutor's office said.
The Macomb County Sheriff's Office said it raided two residents in Macomb Township and two health spas in the county as part of a human trafficking investigation.
The investigation into this human trafficking ring began in February, the sheriff's office said.
According to the office, the Sheriff's Enforcement Team worked with U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the FBI to execute the search warrants on Wednesday. Sterling Heights Police Department also assisted.
Related video: Survivor recounts years-long human trafficking experience: 'You just feel like there's no way out.'
Officials said the raids were executed at 25 Health Spa in Shelby Township and Healing Plus Spa on Mound Road in Sterling Heights. They also searched a home in Macomb Township and another home in Shelby Township.
“Definitely knew something went down, a raid of some type," said Frank Penzin, who lives next door to the home that was searched in Shelby Township. "Wasn’t expecting anything like that.”
Penzin says he even brought the owners a cake when they moved in to welcome them. He said a lot of people would come and go, and the home wasn’t always well kept, but when he saw agents detaining roughly a dozen people outside he was stunned. Especially once he found out the investigation was for human trafficking.
"I wasn’t expecting that,” said Penzin.
When we visited 25 Health Spa, the windows were drawn and the business was empty with nondescript "spa" and "massage therapy" signs in the window.
Healing Plus Spa in Sterling Heights was also searched as part of the alleged operation.
“It was just mostly suspicious activity like people looking both ways before letting people in,” said Mark Moore, who lives directly behind Healing Plus Spa. "It's kind of uncomfortable that I live so close to this."
Seven people were taken into custody by the sheriff's office and six others were taken into custody by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Police did not release any other details.
“Whatever was going on, I just hope it got cleaned up," said Penzin.
On Thursday, agents said they executed an additional search warrant at a home in Warren, but no one was taken into custody.
The prosecutor's office released the names of the seven people charged. They are:
- Chun Jin, 48, of Macomb Township
- Chengai Jin, 54, of Macomb Township
- Jorge Ruiz-Diaz, 22, of Utica
- Yeong Sil Kim, 63, of Utica
- Zhanghuan Peng, 50, of Utica
- Jie Liang, 61, of Eastpointe
- Lin Jun Zhou, 49, of Utica
"Charging individuals involved in human trafficking is not just about enforcing the law; it is about dismantling networks that exploit and dehumanize innocent people. Thank you to all the law enforcement agencies that worked together to stop this ring of traffickers,” Macomb County Prosecutor Peter Lucido said in a statement.
Five males and one female were taken into custody by CBP for illegal immigration status.
Police also seized more than $25,000 in cash, high-end jewelry and a small amount of cocaine.
