At least six alleged brothels operating under the guise of massage parlors in Corona were shut down by the NYPD for sex trafficking Wednesday afternoon, authorities said.
The police bust came after residents and business owners on Roosevelt Avenue raised concerns about possible prostitution taking place at the parlors, one of which was located approximately 50 feet from a school, City Councilman Francisco Moya said during a briefing shortly before the raid took place.
Moya said he relayed the concerns to Mayor Eric Adams, who assembled a team of police and city officials to surveil the neighborhood.
Adams said authorities witnessed the parlors operating in “full effect” at 1:30 a.m. Wednesday. Police received court orders from a judge that morning based on what they witnessed and then shut the businesses down Wednesday afternoon.
"This is really bringing down the quality of life of this community, and anyone who says this is a victimless crime just really needs to see the inhumane conditions,” Adams said during a news conference outside one of the alleged brothels.
Police said no arrests have been made yet.
NYPD Assistant Commissioner Kaz Daughtry said authorities are not interested in arresting the woman who have been victimized.
“Our job as a police department is to help them,” Daughtry said.
It is unclear if there are any persons of interest or if any arrests are pending.