Two men charged in connection with forced labour at Sask. restaurants

Two men – from Tisdale and Elrose – are facing human trafficking charges in connection with an RCMP investigation that involved forced labour at Saskatchewan restaurants.

According to police, the case involved a woman from Bangladesh who was forced to work 10 to 12 hours a day in several restaurants. She stayed in a dark, wet concrete basement whenever she wasn’t working.

The RCMP said the woman was staying in Canada on a visitor’s permit when she answered an ad for work at a restaurant, and came to Saskatchewan from another province to take the job. She was provided with a working permit.

“The woman was forced to work 10 to 12 hours a day, seven days a week, for several months at restaurants in Gull Lake, Elrose and Tisdale,” the RCMP said in a statement.

“When she wasn’t working, the woman was forced to stay in an unfinished, concrete basement, which was dimly lit and heavily water damaged. The woman was threatened by her employers that her working permit would be taken away or police would be called if she did not comply with the demanding work schedule and restrictions to her freedoms.”

The RCMP said officers arrested two men in Tisdale and a third man in Elrose last Thursday.

Two men – 41-year-old Mohammad Masum from Tisdale and 52-year-old Sohel Haider from Elrose – were each charged with a single count of trafficking a person. The RCMP said Masum was also charged with three counts of sexual assault. Both are set to appear in a Rosetown courtroom later this month.

The third man was released without charges.

The RCMP said the victim is receiving support, and has been made aware of protection available through Saskatchewan’s Protection from Human Trafficking Act.

Glenn Church, who leads the RCMP’s Saskatchewan Enforcement Response Team, said the case shows that human trafficking isn’t limited to major urban centres.

“This investigation illustrates human trafficking can take many forms, including forced labour,” Church said in a statement.

“This isn’t just a big city issue – human trafficking is present in communities both big and small, including in Saskatchewan. It’s important that residents recognize the signs of trafficking and report these occurrences to police immediately.”

The investigation has not yet concluded, the RCMP said, and officers believe there may be more victims of the alleged trafficking operation.

The RCMP asked anyone with information on the case – or any case where human trafficking is suspected – to contact police or Crime Stoppers.

Police also shared an information sheet to help recognize the signs of human trafficking.