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Macomb County homes, businesses raided for suspected human trafficking
"I witnessed them handcuff a lot of people," Shelby Township resident, Bill Anton, said. "They were sitting on the sidewalk for a while – talking to them, interviewing them."
MOUNT CLEMENS, Mich. - Two homes and two spas, all in Macomb County, were raided by a law enforcement partnership investigating alleged human trafficking in the area.
Six people were arrested just after 7 a.m. on Wednesday, May 29 after the Sheriff's Enforcement Team executed search warrants at homes in Macomb Township and Shelby Township, as well as health spas in Shelby Township and Sterling Heights, the office said.
A neighbor's security camera captured law enforcement with shields and battering rams, walking down Gulliver Drive in Shelby Township.
"I came out here and there must have been 25 cars, so it looked like a raid," said one Shelby Township resident, Bill Anton. "The police were here, the sheriff's department, FBI, border patrol."
Several men and women were taken out of a house in the Lakeview Manor subdivision near 21 Mile and Schoenherr. In addition to the six arrested, six other individuals were taken into custody by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, according to a news release.
Anton lives across the street.
Law enforcement raided a home in Shelby Township on Wednesday, May 29, 2024, connected to an alleged human trafficking operation. (Provided by Bill Anton)
"I witnessed them handcuff a lot of people," he said. "They were sitting on the sidewalk for a while – talking to them, interviewing them."
Neighbors said the home was purchased during the COVID-19 pandemic, and their understanding was that the owner was going to be opening a restaurant. They assumed all the people they saw in and out were likely working there.
However, it turns out, the home was one of the locations law enforcement is investigating for human trafficking.
"Unfortunately, that's a horrible thing no matter at what level," Anton said.
The police partnership included U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Sterling Heights Police Department, and the FBI in Macomb County. The sheriff's office oversaw the operation.
The search warrants were carried out at the following locations:
- Homes in Macomb Township and Shelby Township
- 25 Health Spa at 54798 Shelby Rd, Shelby Township
- Healing Plus Spa at 39573 Mound Rd, Sterling Heights
An investigation remains ongoing.