By Allison Musante, Staff Writer
WEST WINDSOR A team of local police and federal agents is investigating whether charges for prostitution and human trafficking will be brought against the owners of three massage parlors after police seized surveillance equipment and financial data from the businesses on Tuesday afternoon.
At this time, police said they have not found evidence of human trafficking at the three locations: Bodyworks Massage at 83 Princeton-Hightstown Road, Oriental Moon Massage at 702 Alexander Road, and Min’s Health Center at 222 Washington Road. Police noted in the report that the businesses operate within a half-mile of a school or childcare facility. Calls to Oriental Moon Massage were not returned.
No charges have been filed, but police will continue to examine the financial records and the surveillance tapes for further investigation.
”We’ll be looking at the financial records to see where the money is going, if it’s going overseas,” said Lt. Robert Garofalo, of the West Windsor Police Department Detective Bureau. “And from the surveillance, we’ll try to identify regular people coming in and out or people we may have arrested for other crimes, and any other evidence of prostitution in their regular course of business.”
The raid, which occurred around 1 p.m. on Tuesday, marked the end of a four-month investigation involving agents from the Township Detective Bureau, the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office Special Investigations Unit, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Lt. Garofalo said the investigation was spurred by frequent complaints from local residents and customers inquiring about the legitimacy of the businesses.
West Windsor police took six female employees to headquarters for questioning on Tuesday, according to Lt. Garofalo. With the aid of translators, police questioned the women about the circumstances of their employment. One woman, from China, was immediately sent for deportation proceedings with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
”The rest we’ve questioned in an employee-victim style,” Lt. Garofalo said. “It encourages more cooperation and it preserves the possibility that they’ve been victims in a situation.”
He said police do not believe the three parlors are connected in any way, and they have not yet determined the ages or countries of origin of the other women.
Police are questioning the owners of the businesses, who have been identified as Xiangshu Han, of Bodyworks Massage, Min Wang, of Min’s Health Center, and Donghong Li, of Oriental Moon Massage. Detective Sgt. Brian Gallant said he did not know if the businesses are still operating as usual but they were not required to shut down during the investigation.
Led by Lt. Garofalo and Detective Sgt. Gallant, police also seized about $15,000 from the three parlors, as well as computers. Police were assisted by the township’s tactical team to ensure safety. Detective Sgt. Gallant said no customers were present during the raids.Lt. Garofalo said the complaints that prompted the investigation were taken seriously given prior evidence of prostitution and trafficking in the area. Several arrests have been made for prostitution allegations over the years, including one in April 2001against two East Windsor residents and another in November 2009 against the Asran House massage parlor formerly on Princeton-Hightstown Road.
Also involved in the investigation is FBI Special Agent Vernon Addison, Special Agent P. Glenn with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and Lt. Frank LaBelle of Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office Special Investigations Unit.

