More Than 100 Arrested In Phoenix Human-Trafficking Sting: Police

PHOENIX, AZ — Phoenix police, along with several partner agencies, made 118 prostitution-related arrests over the past few weeks, police said in a news release.

The arrests were for accusations of prostitution, luring, pandering, escort service violations and warrants.

The agencies involved in the sting also offered services to 70 people, in an effort to help them get out of prostitution and human trafficking.

The investigations and arrests happened over three days in January and three days in February, police said. Three of the arrests were for outstanding felony arrest warrants, including one out of Texas for homicide, according to police. The investigations were focused on hotel and street prostitution.

During the stings, the Phoenix Police Department’s Human Exploitation and Trafficking Unit worked alongside human trafficking units from the Scottsdale, Glendale, Mesa and Tempe police departments as well as Homeland Security Investigations and the FBI.

"This was a large-scale operation with a variety of moving parts," the Phoenix Police Department said in a news release. "It’s success was made possible by the hard work and cooperation of all the agencies involved."

If you have information about someone being trafficked, contact your local police department or the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 888-373-7888 or humantraffickinghotline.org.