Human Trafficking Arrests Made In Edmond During 2-Day Undercover Operation

State and local law enforcement are cracking down on human trafficking in the metro. Undercover police took part in a two-day operation in Edmond.

The Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Edmond police arrested people responding to online commercial sex ads and those posting the ads for business.

“We work these statewide: we’ve been from Lawton to Woodward, to McAlester, to Tulsa,” said Mark Woodward, Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics.

This time in Edmond. One of the first arrests this week involved a 27-year-old man responding to a known sex trafficking website. According to an arrest affidavit, Daniyar Zhumabayev agreed through text to pay the worker $180 for sex acts. What he did not know was the person on the other end was an undercover officer. He was arrested at the hotel where the meetup was supposed to happen. Police also arrested a juvenile who responded to a different ad.

“This is criminal, and there’s a very good chance they could throw away a career, throw away school, they could throw away everything, their families,” said Woodward.

The other side of undercover operations is helping victims of human trafficking. “Rescuing these people who really do not have the freedom because someone else is controlling them,” said Woodward. Woodward said some victims are forced into this kind of work. “It’s obvious they are actually a victim of human trafficking and they may not even realize it,” he said.

The investigation also involves finding the trafficker. “Who are the people that are texting and communicating through these ads to arrange and act, and a price and a location?” said Woodward.

The OBN has advocacy groups on standby that can help victims of human trafficking. The organizations help with housing and providing other resources.

Citizens and victims of human trafficking can anonymously report illegal activity to the OBN's tip line at (855) 522-8031 or by visiting the agency's Facebook page.