ROSETOWN – Two men charged with human trafficking didn’t appear in person in Rosetown Circuit Court, and instead, had a lawyer appear on their behalf Thursday morning.
Mohammad Masum, 41, from Tisdale, and Sohel Haider, 52, from Elrose, allegedly forced a woman to work 10 to12 hours a day, seven days a week at restaurants and when she was off work, forced her to live in an unfinished, concrete, damp, dimly lit basement.
Defence counsel Chris Gratton appeared by telephone and told the court that his office is currently representing both Masum and Haider.
Crown Prosecutor Jonathan Foreman said the Crown was proceeding by indictment rather than summary conviction. This means if convicted the accused could face more jail time.
Judge Miguel Martinez ordered a ban on publication identifying the victim and adjourned the case to Sept. 14.
There were only about half a dozen people in the circuit court room with most of them appearing to pay tickets and weren't aware alleged human traffickers were to appear in court Thursday. The rest of the people in the court were police officers, sheriffs, and court staff.
Masum and Haider were arrested by RCMP Swift Current Saskatchewan Trafficking Response Team (STRT) in Elrose on July 5 and charged with trafficking a person. Masum is additionally charged with three counts of sexual assault.
RCMP STRT say the woman was threatened by her employers that her working permit would be taken away or that police would be called if she didn’t comply with the demanding work schedule and restrictions on her freedom. She was forced to work at restaurants in Gull Lake, Elrose, and Tisdale.
Investigators believe there may be more victims of this human trafficking operation and the investigation continues.
If you have information about this or any other incident of human trafficking, or if you or someone you know may be a victim of it, call police immediately. You can also contact the Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-833-900-1010. It’s confidential, available 24/7 and offers services in more than 200 languages. Information can also be submitted anonymously by contacting Saskatchewan Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or www.saskcrimestoppers.com.
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