Eight people have been taken into custody and arrest warrants have been issued for four others following a year-long probe into a prostitution ring run by a Toronto street gang.
Toronto police say male and female members of the Galloway Boys used physical violence, threats and other forms of coercion to force up to 10 girls between the ages of 14 and 17 into the sex trade over the last year with all proceeds going back to the gang.
The arrests, which are part of Project Dove, were made during the execution of 11 search warrants in the Morningside and Lawrence avenues area on Thursday morning.
A quantity of currency and a vehicle were seized during the raids.
“It is alleged that the suspects recruited young girls, exploited them and forced them to work as prostitutes operating out of various hotel and motel locations across the City of Toronto, Durham region, Peel region and into Montreal,” Insp. Joanna Beaven-Desjardins of the sex crimes unit told reporters Friday. “You know these victims sometimes are just looking for attention and affection and these pimps feed off that and then their relationship turns into a controlling and violent relationship where these girls are forced to perform prostitution and turn their earnings over.”
Police believe there are more victims
Officers from the sex crimes unit, the guns and gangs task force, Peel Regional Police and Durham Police all participated in Project Dove.
Speaking with reporters, Beaven-Desjardins refused to reveal the exact number of victims but said that police believe there are “many more” than the ones they currently know about.
According to Beaven-Desjardins, “some” of the victims have now been reunited with their families but others have not.
“It takes a lot of courage for a victim to come forward. They are entrenched in this kind of lifestyle and for them to actually come out and speak with us it is very, very difficult,” she said. “For that reason we are appealing to the public for their assistance as we believe there are further victims.”
The Galloway Boys operate mostly in the area of Galloway Road and Danzig Street, according to police.
Though street gangs are often associated with the gun and drug trade, Beaven-Desjardins said it is increasingly common to see gangs like the Galloway Boys involved in the sex trade as well.
“It is as lucrative as guns and drugs and it often goes undetected,” she said.
Suspects face combined 44 charges
Markus Cole, 20, Shanicka Providence, 18, Alexandra Abdellatif Alia, 25, Anthony Talbert, 21, Tchello Whyte, 25, and three young offenders face a combined 44 human-trafficking related charges in connection with the investigation.
The other four suspects, Jason Bartley, 19, Brian Mackenzie, 22, Kamille Fraser, 21, and Darren Letts, 22, are also expected to face similar charges.
Police say they believe the outstanding suspects are somewhere in the Toronto area.
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