MARTIN COUNTY — Several spas and two women were identified as being involved in a human trafficking ring involving sex and at least 100 men, Martin County Sheriff William Snyder said Tuesday.

The women, both 48, identified as managing the spas – four in Martin County and one in Jupiter – are Ruimei Li, of the 700 block of South U.S. 1 in Jupiter, and Lixia Zhu, of the 4900 block of Southeast Mariner Garden Circle in Stuart.

They were arrested Tuesday at residences in Martin and Palm Beach counties in a case Snyder said is in its beginning.

“The tentacles of this go from here to New York to China, in Florida from here to Orange County,” Snyder said.

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The targeted businesses were identified as:

Cove Day Spa, 6100 block of Southeast Federal Highway, Stuart

Therapy Spa, 2800 block of Southeast Federal Highway, Stuart

Bridge Day Spa, 11700 Southeast Federal Highway, Hobe Sound

Orchids of Asia Day Spa, 100 block of U.S. 1, Jupiter

Sequoia Apple Day Spa, 10400 block of Southeast Federal Highway, Hobe Sound

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Snyder said the case began in July 2018 when a detective responded to a complaint from the Health Department regarding what appeared to be human trafficking at a massage parlor.

That lead to a complex, lengthy investigation with arrests and search warrants.

Li and Zhu were arrested on charges including racketeering, deriving support from the proceeds of prostitution, engaging or maintaining a place of prostitution and money laundering.

“It was clear that multiple women were working and living inside the spas. They were cooking on the back steps of the business,” Snyder said. “They were sleeping in the massage parlor on the massage tables.”

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They had no access to transportation and were moved from location to location, Snyder said.

State Attorney General Ashley Moody, one of several officials with Snyder in discussing the case, said Florida ranks third in the nation in terms of incidents of reports of human trafficking.

“This should be an example of how we will act going forward to stop this plague on our communities,” she said.

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Meanwhile, officials in Indian River County Tuesday afternoon announced a six-month investigation into “multiple massage parlor locations” there, as well. Sebastian police raided AA Massage, in the 1500 block of U.S. 1.

Nearly 200 were charged with more than 200 counts of solicitation.

Officials plan to release more details Thursday.

Snyder said officials were in the process of seizing $2 million to $3 million in assets.

Snyder said the women were involved in “graphic sexual activity, very risky behavior.”

He said they were from China, and that 13 Mandarin interpreters were speaking with the women.

Snyder stressed the case is bigger than what was disclosed Tuesday.

“I think it’s very safe to say without any hyperbole that this is the tip of the tip of the iceberg,” Snyder said.

He said about 100 men would be arrested.

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The goal, he said, was to treat the women as victims, rather than paid sex workers.

At least two appear willing to cooperate.

“The problem with these cases is that the coercion is so subtle sometimes that it’s impossible for us to uncover,” he said.

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Snyder said this isn’t a case in which a woman is captured and kept against her will and locked up or kept at gunpoint.

“What you see instead are women that come here ostensibly to be maids or to work in restaurants, they bring their children,” Snyder said, noting they then end up in this situation.

Snyder said the men were the “monsters in this equation.”

Asked whether celebrities or prominent people could be involved, Snyder said, “There will be a newsmaker in this one.”

Sndyer said much of this starts in New York.

He said he anticipates additional women or managers will be arrested.

“We followed as much as $20 million moving in and out of China,” he said.

Li is listed as a registered agent for Cove Day Spa, Therapy Spa and Bridge Day Spa according to state business filings. It’s unclear what role Zhu had in running the operation.

Two people listed as registered agents for the other spas were not mentioned during the event. Hua Zhang is listed as the registered agent for Orchids of Asia Day Spa and Lei Wang is listed as the registered agent for Sequoia Apple Day Spa.

Snyder said more arrests could be made this week related to operated the spas.

Ali Schmitz and Mary Helen Moore contributed to this report.

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