Laddha Case

Summary

In Vancouver in August 2011, Mumtaz Laddha was charged with human trafficking.  She and two members of her family were accused of confining a 21 year-old woman in their house to use her as a servant. They were charged with using the home as "an instrument of unlawful activity".  The young woman had been confined there for one year until she escaped and made her way to a women’s shelter.  She was forced to work up to 22 hours a day for a wage of $200 a month. When she was recruited to work as a servant she did not expect to work so hard: she had to wash the family's cars and those of its friends, she had to hand wash underwear, she had to shovel the driveway for the family’s vehicles to exit, all while dressed in a simple cotton dress and sandals.  Moreover, according to the police, when the young woman arrived in Canada the owner of the house took possession of her passport. In its defence the family has said that the police have misunderstood and that the young woman was never forced to work as a slave in Canada. Laddha, the owner of the place was arrested on July 19, 2011 and is facing one charge of human trafficking and one charge of human smuggling.  The B.C Government was also attempting to seize the $3.1 million home at the time of the arrest.

Media Reports

Please check back soon for links to selected media reports on this case.