METHUEN—There was no happy ending at a suburban “spa” where police and federal agents say women were discovered living in a basement dungeon while sex was allegedly sold upstairs.
Methuen Police, backed by ICE, Homeland Security Investigations, and the IRS, descended on the Beauty Garden Spa on Wallace Street after months of surveillance and undercover work. Inside, they found two women forced to live below ground in cramped quarters — a discovery that triggered an immediate shutdown of the business.
The raid culminated in the arrest of Suping Zhu, 38, of Flushing, N.Y., who now faces charges of Trafficking a Person for Sexual Servitude, Deriving Support from Prostitution, and Keeper of a House of Ill Fame. Zhu was taken into custody Sept. 26 and will be arraigned Monday in Lawrence District Court.
The now-shuttered Beauty Garden Spa in Methuen, where police say women were discovered living in dungeon-like basement quarters during an ICE-backed raid.
WAR ON TRAFFICKING
“This operation marks the first blow in our aggressive campaign to eradicate human trafficking and sexual servitude in Methuen. The Methuen Police Department, standing united with Mayor Beauregard, is sending a clear and unmistakable warning to every nefarious proprietor running these vile operations: we are coming for you, and we will shut down your illegal enterprises with determined action,” said Chief Scott McNamara.
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“To the ‘johns’ fueling this despicable trade, know this: you are not invisible, and we are targeting you next with the full might of the law. Human trafficking and sexual servitude are not victimless crimes. They exploit the vulnerable, destroy lives, and poison our community. We will relentlessly pursue every perpetrator to ensure they face justice. This is only the beginning, and the Methuen Police Department, backed by our community and law enforcement partners, will not rest until these crimes are eradicated from our city.”
BASEMENT OF SHAME
Health inspectors condemned the spa as soon as they saw the hidden living space.
“The Department of Health, Human Services, and Inspections reminds the public that commercial spaces are not permitted to be used as residences,” said Director of Public Health Caeli Tegan Zampach. “Living in a business or commercial unit is unsafe, violates municipal and state codes, and will be subject to enforcement.”
The women discovered in the basement are being treated as victims and were interviewed by investigators.
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MAYOR VOWS ZERO TOLERANCE
“From a policy standpoint, I am declaring war on human trafficking in the City of Methuen,” said Mayor D.J. Beauregard. “We will identify and apprehend traffickers, shut down every business in Methuen that profits from this evil, and hold landlords accountable if they harbor them — we will find you, and we are coming after you next. Methuen has zero tolerance for these terrible crimes in our city. I want to thank the Methuen Police Department and our state and federal law enforcement partners, Director Caeli Tegan Zampach of the Department of Health, Human Services and Inspections, and the concerned residents who made the initial reports for their combined efforts to crack down on the perpetrators of these crimes.”
FEDS SWOOP IN
The Beauty Garden Spa remains padlocked while Methuen detectives, ICE, Homeland Security, and IRS investigators sift through seized phones, computers, and business records. Authorities warn that more charges could be coming.
All defendants are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.