MARYLAND, USA — A sex trafficking investigation has led to the arrest of two women operating illicit massage parlors across multiple jurisdictions.
Chang Liu, 34, and Yinlian Wu, 50, are facing prostitution related charges in Montgomery County.
In October 2023, Human Trafficking detectives were tipped off about possible prostitution and sex trafficking occurring at Elegant Spa along Metropolitan Avenue in Kensington, Maryland. During the investigation, detectives noticed dozens of male customers entering and leaving the spa on a daily-basis.
Officials received multiple confessions stating that employees were exchanging sexual acts for money inside the spa. One employee even went as far as trying to bribe an inspector from Health and Human Services to avoid getting the spa shut down.
On Wednesday, March 6, detectives executed a search and seizure warrant at Elegant Spa, where they located both Liu and Wu. They were placed under arrest and charged with multiple counts of sex trafficking and prostitution. Wu was also charged with attempting to bribe an official.
Both women were taken to the Montgomery County Central Processing Unit but have since bonded out. Liu owns massage parlors in Montgomery County, Anne Arundel County, and in Laurel.
During a preliminary investigation, detectives learned that Liu, Wu, and two other women were also living inside the spa. Now officers are seeking additional victims who Liu employed at her spas.
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