How short-term rentals are fuelling human trafficking in Canada
6/22/202621 min
A court case in Winnipeg has offered a rare glimpse into the mechanics of how human trafficking can work. And it showed that short-rental rentals, like Airbnb and Vrbo, can be used by traffickers while on the move with their victims. But some cities, like Winnipeg, are taking action.
Temur Durrani is a reporter for The Globe based in Winnipeg. He explains the story of a Quebec teenager who survived being trafficked and the regulations Winnipeg has put in place to try and combat human traffickers from using short-term rentals.
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Transcript preview
First 90 secondsTemur Durrani· Guest0:02
In early 2024, a grade 12 student from Quebec went missing. Her parents contacted police, but there was no sign of her for weeks.
Cheryl Sutherland· Host0:09
Timor Durrani is a Globe reporter based in Winnipeg.
Temur Durrani· Guest0:14
And then suddenly, in late March, the girl sends a message to one of her friends back home. She was being held in an Airbnb in downtown Winnipeg. She told her friend she was in trouble and she needed some help, and her friend immediately talks to local police in Quebec. Then local police contact police in Manitoba, and they were- are immediately dispatched to the unit in downtown Winnipeg.
Cheryl Sutherland· Host0:36
It turned out that the woman was being held captive in this condo unit.
Temur Durrani· Guest0:40
When they get to the unit, they find a man there. He is a 24-year-old rapper, Malik Rageli-Mark, and they also locate her and rescue her, and they eventually charge him with human trafficking.
Cheryl Sutherland· Host0:52
Malik Rageli-Mark ended up pleading guilty to multiple charges related to human trafficking. It was found in court that he had trafficked this teenager into the sex trade. This story is a rare instance where the invisible crime of human trafficking is seen. Detection can be difficult. A Globe investigation has found what Canadian law enforcement, advocacy groups, and academics have been sounding the alarm about for years. Predators are increasingly using short-term rentals on platforms such as Airbnb and Vrbo to facilitate