Owners of Calgary cleaning company charged with human trafficking

Alberta RCMP allege a husband and wife used a Calgary-based cleaning business to exploit foreign nationals.

Police say an 18-month investigation by the Integrated Border Enforcement Team (IBET) determined the owners of the unnamed company recruited people through Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker program, then “took advantage of them upon their arrival in Canada for personal financial gain.”

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RCMP charged 50-year-old Amelita Layco with two counts of human trafficking, two counts of benefiting from human trafficking and one count of fraud.

Macario Layco, 49, is charged with two counts of benefiting from human trafficking.

Both are scheduled to appear in court on April 16.

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RCMP say the victims are receiving support from the RCMP and Action Collation on Human Trafficking (ACT) Alberta, a non-profit organization that assists survivors of human trafficking.

If you or someone you know is a victim of exploitation you can contact ACT Alberta by calling 587-585-5236 or the Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-833-900-1010.