METHUEN, MASS. (WHDH) - METHUEN, Mass. (WHDH) – Beth Foote saw something she couldn’t ignore from the spa across the street from her home.
“What’s really weird is there’s like lights on downstairs at night,” said Beth.
Beth trusted her instincts and took a photo of glowing yellow light streaming out of Beauty Garden Spa’s basement window. What she saw next made her even more suspicious.
“There are only men going in there. I saw these buses coming in and there were huge amounts of women. Two would come out. Maybe one. They would bring their little rolling suitcase. They’d go in and then I’d never see them in the neighborhood.” Beth said.
Beth snapped more pictures documenting a pattern.
She witnessed young women being dropped off at beauty garden spa but never saw them again in the Methuen neighborhood.
“These women are being hurt by this,” said Beth. “They’re terrified.”
Beth notified police and her tip helped launch a two-year investigation. Authorities targeted nine spa locations across Methuen, including Beauty Garden.
“We just had to stake out these businesses and try to witness things ourselves,” said Lt. Joe Rynne Jr. of Methuen Police.
Detectives also went into the spas undercover. Police say the spas were fronts for human trafficking and the women inside were being sold for sex.
“They are completely detached from family and friends. They have an inability to speak the language and they are wholly dependent on their handlers,” said Methuen Police Chief Scott McNamara.
“There’s so many people who think this isn’t happening in their town, but it is,” said Beth.
Methuen city leaders created a task force which includes the Mayor, detectives, residents and officials from Public Health and Zoning to target building code violations. Those violations give the city a fast way to shut down spas suspected of human trafficking.
“We have lots of tools at our disposal that are much quicker than a police investigation,” said Public Health Director, Caeli Tegan.
7 investigates followed the task force in action. Tegan pointed out red flags still visible at Beauty Garden Spa.
“When you see multiple cameras like this, especially on top of the front doors, that’s not a very good sign,” said Tegan. “You also see a lot of curtains and blinds because they want to block the public view from their business.”
Tegan also pointed out signs that people may have been living there.
“On the bottom floor where one of the rooms was set up like a bedroom, they had full mattresses and bedding. They had a full kitchen set up,” Tegan said.
Discoveries like these allowed the city to shutdown five locations using code enforcement. Four spots packed up and left town.
Police say one operator, Suping Zhu of Beauty Garden Spa, is facing prostitution and trafficking charges.
“This is a victory for our neighborhood,” said Beth. “But honest to God, this is not a victory in any way shape or form for these women.”
Methuen’s strategy worked, but police say traffickers don’t disappear. They move.
“They will shutter and go somewhere else,” said Chief McNamara. “I think we’re going to have to attack this one city and town at a time.”
Detectives say some of the spas are trying to reopen. They will be keeping a watchful eye on those locations.
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