York Regional Police say 64 Mexican-born nationals have been rescued from an international labour trafficking ring that was operating in Ontario and several people have been charged.Deputy police chief Alvaro Almeida told reporters on Friday that the information learned through Project Norte was “just as disturbing as it is compelling.”“Sixty-four of them were subject to deplorable living conditions with no way out,” Almeida said. “Our members were shocked at the conditions they were living in.”“These workers are coerced with promises of a better life, decent wages, quality housing, and eventually documentation,” Almeida continued. “These are almost always false promises.” Read more: ‘A beacon of hope’: Survivor shares her story of being trafficked In November 2022, police said they learned that Mexicans were being exploited for labour in the region by an organized group of criminals.Investigators said that the workers were being driven back and forth from terrible living conditions to worksites in private buses that were also in a state of disrepair.They also allege the workers were mistreated, abused and exploited for manual labour at farms, factories and warehouses across the Greater Toronto Area.“The victims lived in squalor and were compelled to work long hours for little pay, while their exploiters reaped the benefits of their labour and lived in luxury,” police allege.
Read more: 15-year-old girl rescued from sex ring operating in Toronto condo, suspect sought: police A few months later, on Feb 8, several police forces across the GTA executed search warrants at five properties in Vaughan, East Gwillimbury, Toronto and Mississauga.Officers rescued 64 workers — a mix of men and women in their 20s to 40s — who.