The RCMP logo is seen outside Royal Canadian Mounted Police “E” Division Headquarters, in Surrey, B.C., on April 13, 2018. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck)
Manitoba RCMP have charged two hotel owners following a five-month investigation into suspected labour trafficking at a business in the RM of Portage la Prairie.
The human trafficking unit launched the investigation in February 2025 after police responded to a disturbance at a local hotel and later received a complaint about possible trafficking. Four female victims were eventually identified.
According to RCMP, the women were recruited from another country under the promise of legal work, fair wages, and affordable living through Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) agreements. Instead, they were forced to work 15-hour days for below minimum wage, faced threats of deportation, and in one case had identification documents withheld.
On June 12, hotel co-owner Jai Inder Sandhu, 62, was arrested and charged with multiple offences, including four counts of trafficking in persons, material benefit from trafficking, and uttering threats. Co-owner Satbir Sandhu, 48, was also charged with four counts of trafficking in persons and related offences.
RCMP say three of the four victims eventually received proper LMIA agreements. The investigation is ongoing.
