The Vancouver Police Department has confirmed that three officers with a high-profile specialized unit are under investigation in connection with the misconduct of former detective James Fisher.

The existence of criminal allegations against the three officers was first revealed in the B.C. Court of Appeal on Wednesday, when a lawyer told the court the investigations are related to corruption. A spokesperson for the VPD corroborated the news the next day.

"As part of a thorough investigation conducted by the VPD into the actions of Jim Fisher, concerns about the conduct of three members from the Counter Exploitation Unit related specifically to the Fisher investigation were referred to an independent agency for investigation," Sgt. Aaron Roed told CBC by email.

He added that he's not aware of which agency is doing the investigation, and that the VPD is not revealing whether the officers are still on duty.

Fisher was once a celebrated officer with the unit, which has led major investigations into prostitution and human trafficking operations. He was sentenced last year to 20 months in jail for sexual exploitation and breach of trust for kissing two female victims of sex crimes.

But recent months have seen repeated allegations that Fisher sexually abused several other young women during the course of his investigations into Vancouver pimps.

There are also allegations that he gave the young women drugs and encouraged them to lie in court, and that the VPD was aware of issues with the detective five years before he was suspended from duty in 2016.

At least three men who were arrested as a result of investigations by Fisher and other officers in the Counter Exploitation Unit are now appealing their convictions on prostitution and human trafficking-related charges.

'Those are serious allegations'

In an appeal court hearing on Wednesday, a lawyer for convicted pimp Tamim Albashir revealed that she'd learned of the other investigations, but was struggling to get more information about alleged misconduct by officers who'd investigated her client.

"This very small unit within the VPD, most of whose members are involved in our case in significant proportion, four out of nine have either been charged — Mr Fisher convicted — or are still being investigated with relation to what appears to be corruption," Sandford told the court.

B.C. Solicitor General Mike Farnworth addressed the news in the halls of the legislature on Thursday, saying it would be inappropriate for him to comment.

"What I am aware of is that there is an investigation, and those are serious allegations and they are going to be investigated thoroughly," Farnworth told reporters.