Human trafficking trial with ties to southwest extending into 2025

By Jenny Hagan

An ongoing human trafficking trial involving two men accused of exploiting a woman in small-town Saskatchewan is now expected to stretch well into 2025, with continued trial dates set through September of next year.

The accused, Mohammad Masum and Sohel Haider, were arrested in June of 2023 and are charged with human trafficking. Masum also faces additional charges of sexual assault. The case, which has drawn significant attention due to its disturbing allegations, began in Rosetown Provincial Court earlier this year and continues to unveil new details about the conditions a woman allegedly faced while working at various rural restaurants in Saskatchewan.

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According to testimony from the woman, whose identity remains protected by a publication ban, she was lured to Canada under false pretenses. The alleged victim, who initially arrived on a visitor’s permit, said she was offered $1,000 per month to work at a restaurant in Tisdale, Saskatchewan, but soon found herself trapped in a nightmare of forced labour and abuse. The court has heard harrowing accounts of how she was allegedly made to work up to 12 hours a day, seven days a week, at restaurants in Tisdale, Gull Lake, and Elrose, and was forced to live in squalid conditions in an unfinished basement. The woman also testified that her employers threatened to revoke her work permit or involve the police if she failed to comply with their demands.

Superintendent Glenn Church, who heads the Saskatchewan RCMP’s Enforcement Response Team, stated that this case highlights the reality of human trafficking in both urban and rural settings.

“This investigation illustrates human trafficking can take many forms, including forced labour. It’s not just a big-city issue – human trafficking is present in communities both big and small, including Saskatchewan,” he said.

After numerous delays, Judge Miguel Martinez quipped during court proceedings on October 8 that the trial might extend into his retirement.

The trial has already been postponed multiple times, and a significant portion of testimony and evidence has yet to be presented. The next dates for the trial are scheduled for May 12-16, 2025, with five additional weeks set through the remainder of the year.

Masum and Haider’s defence has yet to present its case. The trial will continue as more witnesses, including law enforcement officers and labour rights experts, are expected to testify.

Christine Tell, Saskatchewan’s Minister of Corrections, Policing, and Public Safety, also addressed the significance of the case.

“We must remain vigilant to the presence of human trafficking, whether in cities or rural communities like Elrose,” Tell said.

“The work done by our trafficking response teams has been critical in bringing these cases to light, and we are committed to providing justice for victims.”

As the trial progresses, the woman at the centre of the case is being supported by victim services and is receiving protection under Saskatchewan’s Protection from Human Trafficking Act. Authorities have emphasized that this case serves as a sobering reminder of the hidden dangers of human trafficking in rural Saskatchewan.

The trial will resume in May of 2025, and the community awaits further developments as the communities continue to grapple with the unsettling reality of human trafficking in their midst.