3 Indian-origin men arrested, charged with human trafficking in Canada

Toronto, Aug 26 (PTI) Three Indian-origin men in Canada have been arrested and charged with human trafficking in connection with a case involving a victim under 18, a media report has said.

The police have arrested and charged the three men from Ontario’s Brampton city and are searching for a fourth suspect, a South Asian, in relation to a human trafficking investigation involving a victim under 18 years, the Toronto Star newspaper reported on Wednesday.

Amritpal Singh, 23, and Harkuwar Singh, 22, were charged with procuring persons under 18 years, trafficking in persons under the age of 18, receiving benefit resulting from trafficking in persons, exercise control, material benefit from sexual services provided by persons under 18 years, advertising sexual services, forcible confinement and aggravated assault, it said.

Sukhmanpreet Singh, 23, was charged with forcible confinement and aggravated assault, the report said.

On Saturday, police launched a probe into allegations that an underage girl had been held against her will, violently assaulted numerous times and was being trafficked within the sex trade, it said, adding that the victim was taken to a hospital with serious, non-life-threatening injuries.

All the arrested men appeared before the Ontario Court of Justice on August 22.