Five foreign exotic dancers who were working illegally are facing immigration inquiries a day after a special law-enforcement task force raided three strip clubs in Mississauga and Brampton.
Immigration officials said another woman from Hungary, still in custody, has a previous deportation order and must leave the country immediately.
The five women -- from Hungary, Romania and Mexico -- face a deportation order or a departure order, which allows them to re-enter the country, said Naima Karimullah of Citizenship and Immigration Canada.
The arrests come after police shut down clubs Thursday night as part of Project Almonzo, a year-long investigation into trafficking of foreign women for prostitution.
The Million Dollar Saloon and Second Locomotion in Mississauga and Cannonball in Brampton were shut down.
Ninety prostitution and related charges were laid against 74 people, including club owners, managers, women and customers, police said.
"We have a zero tolerance for prostitution-related offences in these clubs," Inspector John Nielsen of Peel Regional Police said at a news conference yesterday. "And without the pro-active enforcement in the role that we're taking, we feel that what would happen is that ultimately they are going to become a brothel."
Officers were offered masturbation for as little as $40 and sexual intercourse for $140, Insp. Nielsen said.
"Not only were we offered and solicited within the clubs," he said, "we were given the opportunity of having names and phone numbers of the girls so that if our guys were shy, they would be moved off-site and other arrangements could be made."
All three clubs are owned by John Sit, 49, of Woodbridge. The clubs were open yesterday and the investigation is continuing.
Police said Mr. Sit also owns a strip club in Hamilton and in Barrie.
In the past year, Project Almonzo has laid hundreds of prostitution and immigration-related charges against dancers, patrons and club owners.
Agencies involved in the project include Peel Regional Police, Toronto police, Ontario's Alcohol and Gaming Commission, the Ontario Provincial Police, York and Durham region police, the federal Immigration Department and the Toronto Licensing Commission.
Caroline Alphonso