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Central PA Massage Parlor Raid Turns Human Trafficking Ring Bust: DA

A 12-agency joint investigation has led to the downfall of a large-scale human trafficking ring across three Central Pennsylvania counties, authorities announced on Friday, Sept. 1.

Ming Dong.

Ming Dong.

Photo Credit: Cumberland County District Attorney's office

The sex and human trafficking ring was broken up by a year-long operation: Closed2Trafficking, which targeted 10 massage parlors in York, Dauphin, and Cumberland counties.

District Attorney Sean McCormack released the following statement on the operation:

“Since we began these operations targeting sex buyers who drive the demand for commercial sex, we have arrested 45 individuals. Every single dollar that a sex trafficker makes comes out of the wallet of a sex buyer. They are the ones driving sex trafficking by putting money into the hands of the sex traffickers who exploit the women and men trapped in this existence. We are going to continue these operations."

The DA added that "complaints from the public" about the legitimacy of "Asian" massage parlors also prompted the task force to investigate.

The sweep across Southcentral Pennsylvania revealed that the parlors were "operating as fronts for labor/sex trafficking in violation of Pennsylvania criminal statutes," as stated in the DA's release. 

In total 10 parlors were raided in York, Dauphin, and Cumberland counties yielding evidence of labor and sex trafficking along with a large amount of cash, according to the release. 

Investigators determined that the five massage parlors searched in Cumberland County were linked to one another "despite appearing to operate as separate businesses." All of the businesses also appeared to be older homes or houses rather than typical business or store fronts, according to Google Maps:

  • New Healing Hands Spa, 33 Gettysburg Pike, Mechanicsburg in Upper Allen.
  • 149 Massage, AKA May Spa, 149 South 32nd Street in Camp Hill.
  • Lily Spa, 305 Herman Ave. in Lemoyne.
  • Mary Spa, 3803 Gettysburg Road in Camp Hill.
  • JOJO Spa, 5010 Carlisle Pike in Mechanicsburg.

Min Dong, 54, was arrested in conjunction with the raids and charged for operating corrupt organizations, dealing in unlawful proceeds, trafficking individuals, and numerous other charges related to prostitution, according to the DA. 

She's been held in the Cumberland County Prison. 

Details of the remaining five massage businesses that were raided in York and Dauphin Counties are unknown at this time.

The task force's investigation is continuing, as police continue to sort through evidence.

Anyone with information about this type of illegal activity can email if@cumberlandcountypa.gov.

The task force also partnered with local community programs dedicated to providing services and opportunities to help victims of labor/sex trafficking escape their situation. You can learn more about these programs by clicking on the links to their websites below:

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