Three more spas in Methuen have been shut down a day after the city's mayor declared "a war on human trafficking." The city has now shut down five locations in less than a week.
Mayor D.J. Beauregard announced Tuesday that the city issued cease-and-desist orders to Oriental Spa on Swan Street, Yellow Lilly Day Spa on Baldwin Street, and Lavender Spa on Baldwin Street. The mayor said the businesses are "suspected of operating as fronts for human trafficking."
The city said inspectors discovered unlicensed activity, evidence of habitation in commercial spaces and unsanitary conditions. No charges have been announced in connection with the three new closures, but police are continuing to investigate.
The city launched a crackdown after complaints from a neighbor led to an undercover invest