Labour trafficking victims working in plain sight

Guest: Sara Mojtehdzadeh, investigative reporter Did you know that a victim of labour trafficking could be right in front of you? Hundreds are working in plain sight, changing our hotel sheets, renovating our houses and growing the food we eat. In an investigative series by reporters Sara Mojtehdzadeh and Rachel Mendlesen called “Work Forced,” The Star identified 10 cases across the GTA and southwestern Ontario since 2019 where police have raided labour trafficking operations. They have led to complex legal proceedings, which are ongoing, dozens of arrests and involve more than 200 victims – desperate to make a better life for their families – who got caught in this web. Mojtehdzadeh talks about it on the podcast. This episode was produced by Paulo Marques, Julia De Laurentiis Johnston and Saba Eitizaz.