Officials said on Friday that after reacting to a suspected abduction call, Houston police discovered dozens of trapped people in a Chessington Drive house. Police stated they got information on Thursday, which sparked an all-night search that took them to the house on Friday.
Daryn Edwards, Assistant Chief, informed reporters that as they went into the building, they knew there were more than 90 people inside the house.
The abduction inquiry quickly turned into a disturbing case of human smuggling, Edwards said after the SWAT team of the department made entry at the house.
According to public records, the address is of a house which is 2,319 square-foot, having 5 beds and 2 baths. The neighbors informed police they had no idea there were that many people inside. It was leased to a single person.
Multiple people within recorded fevers and a lack of sense of smell as potential coronavirus signs. Edwards said that they were worried of any positive coronavirus cases within the home.
As the victims got emergency attention inside the home, the health department was called in to screen for potential coronavirus cases and consider quarantine alternatives. Food and water were also given.
According to US Customs and Border Protection, one of every four victims of human trafficking is a teen, and women and girls make up the bulk of forced laborers and sex workers.
On Friday, Houston police discovered just five females at the house, with the others being men, according to Edwards. However, there were no infant victims.
Edwards said that this was unquestionably more like a smuggling operation than a human trafficking operation.
However, he advised members of the public to keep an eye out for any unusual activities and report it to police — because what they discover can surprise them once again.
According to the Sex Trafficking Hotline, Texas alone registered over 1,080 incidents of human trafficking in 2019, it is the most recent year for which data is accessible. About 800 of those participating in sex trafficking were females.
