Apex police make human trafficking arrests
A week after raiding an Apex hotel and arresting one man for promoting prostitution and citing four women for soliciting prostitution, police are urging the public to be on the lookout for signs of human trafficking.
The raid on March 9 occurred as part of a joint operation with the Salvation Army Project F.I.G.H.T., or Freeing Individuals Gripped by Human Trafficking.
"Human trafficking is a crime very often hidden in plain sight within a community," a news release from Capt. P. Mitchell McKinney states.
McKinney could not be reached for comment Friday.
Law enforcement also noted three drug violations during the raid, along with a weapons violation. One woman also was arrested for a probation violation.
Police encouraged the public to look for signs including: malnourishment, physical injury or abuse, confinement, physical restraint, avoidance of eye contact and social isolation, reliance on someone else to do their talking for them, a lack of ID or passport, working excessively long or unusual hours and an inability to provide answers about where home is or what town or city they're in.
This story was originally published March 16, 2018 at 7:40 PM with the headline "Apex police make human trafficking arrests."