Halton Police Arrest 9 in Largest Human Trafficking Investigation

A 10-month Halton Regional Police investigation has led to nine arrests, 85 criminal charges and the identification of 12 victims of commercial sexual exploitation in what police described as the largest human trafficking investigation in the force’s history.

Project Troubadour began after a woman reported in September 2025 that she had been exploited. From that first report, Halton investigators worked with Peel Regional Police, the Ontario Provincial Police and other partner agencies on a multi-jurisdictional operation that stretched across the Greater Toronto Area.

Halton’s largest trafficking case

Police say the investigation uncovered 12 victims of commercial sexual exploitation. Investigators allege the accused used “coercion, deception, manipulation and psychological harm” to control the victims.

Deputy Chief Jeff Hill, with Halton police’s Investigative and Frontline Support Services, described human trafficking as “one of the most serious and disturbing crimes we investigate.”

“It exploits vulnerable individuals for profit, fuels organized crime, and leaves lasting physical and psychological harm that extends far beyond the survivors themselves,” Hill said. “This is not a crime that exists in isolation; it affects the safety, security and well-being of our entire community.”

The language from police was stark, and intentionally so. Hill also said police hoped the case would mark “the beginning of a new chapter” for women who had endured “unimaginable pain.”

“Let me be clear, human trafficking is a soul destroying crime,” he said. “It strips people, primarily women and girls, of their humanity, agency and safety.”

Arrests and charges

Nine people were arrested and face a combined 85 criminal charges.

The charges include human trafficking, procuring, receiving material benefits, laundering proceeds of crime and drug offences. Police say all nine accused were held in custody pending bail hearings in Milton.

Because the case is now before the courts, the allegations remain allegations. Police have framed Project Troubadour as a major disruption of an alleged trafficking operation, but the charges will be tested through the justice system.

Searches across the GTA

As part of Project Troubadour, police executed search warrants across the Greater Toronto Area.

Investigators say they seized luxury vehicles, jewelry, drugs and approximately $30,000 in Canadian and U.S. currency.

The seizures point to one of the central allegations in the case: that exploitation was being used for profit. Police allege the accused received material benefits and laundered proceeds of crime, charges that sit alongside human trafficking, procuring and drug-related offences in the broader list of 85 counts.

Police seek more victims

Investigators believe there may be additional victims.

Police are asking anyone with information, including anyone who may have been victimized, to contact investigators. That appeal is a key part of the public message around Project Troubadour: the arrests may have marked a major point in the investigation, but police do not believe the full picture is necessarily known.

Hill’s comments emphasized that human trafficking reaches beyond the people directly controlled or exploited.

“This is not a crime that exists in isolation,” he said. “It affects the safety, security, and well-being of our entire community.”

For Halton police, Project Troubadour now stands as the force’s largest human trafficking investigation. For the 12 victims identified so far, police say the case began with one woman’s September 2025 report that she had been exploited, a report that grew into a 10-month, multi-agency investigation across the GTA.

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