ORLANDO, Fla. — Law enforcement officers in central Florida said they've rescued seven women and a 17-year-old girl from a prostitution trafficking ring.
The Orange County Sheriff's Office, the attorney general and other law enforcement officials talked about their investigation that dismantled the dangerous organization during a news conference Monday.
Investigators said the group worked for two years out of at least seven homes in Orange County, including a 23rd Street home where Casey King, 28, was shot and killed.
King's death came days before she was set to be arrested as part of a large human and heroin trafficking operation.
Raw: News conference on human trafficking, drug bust
Raw: Orange County drug trafficking bust
Attorney General Pam Bondi said Monday in Orlando that a consortium of agencies had arrested 21 suspects last week. The suspects face human trafficking, drug trafficking and racketeering charges.
The operation was called Papa Smurf, named for one of the alleged ringleaders, Keith "Smurf" Hamlet.
Eyewitness News was there as agents raided a Lake Nona home Thursday, where five people were arrested.
Last week's arrests were the culmination of a two-year investigation by the Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation.
"This was a great collaboration between local, state and federal agencies to combat human sex trafficking and its relation to drug trafficking," said Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings.
The ring was run by four principal suspects. One of them is still at large.
"Crimes of drugs and sex trafficking can often involve violence," Demings said.
Ten other suspects remain at large, including another alleged ringleader, Edward Redmond, known on the streets as "Man Man."
"He has six felony convictions. Guns were confiscated in this operation, drugs were confiscated. He is dangerouss. Please be on the lookout for him. We need to bring him to justice," said Attorney General Pam Bondi.
Officials said the seven women and the teen were charged with various sex crimes, but many of them could have the charges dropped as the investigation proceeds.
"It is no coincidence that this drive-by happened at one of these homes. We all know there is a marriage between drugs and human trafficking," said Bondi.
Officials said the women and teen are receiving counseling and drug treatment since heroin was used to coerce them into prostitution.
"That is just as bad as being held in a cage. There's no difference. So yeah, in that sense, they were held captive," said MBI Lt. Mike Gibson.
Those arrested face multiple felony charges, including drug charges, racketeering and human trafficking for commercial sexual activity of a child.
WFTV
