Police, feds raid Exeter massage parlor in ongoing investigation - Seacoastonline.com

[Max Sullivan]

EXETER — Police executed a search warrant at Lotus Foot Spa and Wellness as part of a four-year investigation.

No charges have been filed against the spa, located at 134 Front St., which remains open. The search, conducted on March 25, involved Exeter police with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations and the state Department of Labor, according to Exeter Police Chief Stephan Poulin.

"We executed a search warrant at the Lotus Spa for evidence of illegal activities related to prostitution and human trafficking," Poulin said. "It is an extensive investigation spanning several years. Multiple agencies are involved and the case is open.”

Poulin did not indicate whether charges are expected or what was found during the search. Records from the New Hampshire secretary of state’s office lists the owner of the business, which was established in October 2020.

Attempts to reach the business owner were unsuccessful. A call to the phone number listed in the business records went unanswered, with no voicemail available. A person who answered the business’s publicly listed phone number initially hung up but later texted, "Sorry, I can’t talk right now."

Polulin stated the investigation was opened in January 2021 as a result of a tip.

Some individuals working near Lotus Foot Spa said they were aware of the investigation, noting a high volume of vehicles with Massachusetts plates and primarily male customers entering the spa.

A person who answered the phone at a neighboring business said they recall when police began the investigation in 2021. He said fellow employees also saw the search take place in March.

Poulin said, "If evidence shows there is illegal activity at Lotus, then this would be Exeter's second such case."

Another Exeter business was raided in 2017, leading to prostitution-related charges​

In 2017, Oriental Body Works in Exeter was raided by police and investigators from the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The owner, Ken Ma, was charged and pleaded guilty in 2019 to violating the federal Travel Act. According to court documents, the owner placed online ads on the personals section of websites, such as Craigslist and Backpage, “to facilitate the promotion, management, establishment and carrying on of prostitution.”

"If any future businesses are planning to come into Exeter to perform illegal activities such as human trafficking, then know that the Exeter police will partner with federal and state authorities to investigate and prosecute to the fullest," Poulin said. "There are silent victims in these crimes, and they need to be protected and removed from potential abuse, while those that make money off of their suffering face justice."