A photo of Linh Quy To, 52, charged with human trafficking, is displayed in a Calgary hair salon where prostitution is alleged to have been taking place. (Nassima-Alexandra Ennahdi/CBC)

A Calgary woman who police allege posed as a hair stylist to run a bawdy house faces several charges in one of two unrelated human trafficking cases in the city.

In September, vice-squad officers began watching a woman they say was advertising the erotic services of young Asian women on a free online classified ad service.

The probe led police to the Alternative Hair Design salon at 4105 Fourth St. Northwest and to homes on Holmwood Avenue Northwest, 17th Avenue Southwest and Hendon Drive Northwest, where prostitution and human trafficking were allegedly taking place.

A woman posing as a hair stylist at the salon allegedly made appointments for clients to meet prostitutes.

Police said undercover officers were offered services, including the chance to purchase two teenage Asian women for $5,000 each. Eventually, the two women, both originally from China, were sold to officers for $4,000 each, police said. The women were later found to be 25 and 41 years old.

"Human trafficking is a hugely profitable industry in the world," said Supt. Roger Chaffin of the Calgary police. "In terms of the price for these particular girls — again it is a fairly rare investigation so I don't know that this price, how common that price was — but it's a shocking thing to see humans traded for money and for a relatively low amount of money."

Police have charged Linh Quy To, 52, with:

• Keeping a common bawdy house.
• Human trafficking.
• Gaining material benefit from trafficking in people.
• Conspiracy to commit an indictable offence.
• Possession of property obtained by crime and living off the avails of prostitution.

Police said the investigation is continuing, and the Canada Border Services Agency and the RCMP Immigration and Passports Section are also involved.

Promises of modelling careers

The second case outlined by police on Wednesday involved luring young women to Calgary from other areas of Canada with the promise of careers in modelling, then having them work as prostitutes.

Police recently apprehended a 17-year-old girl suspecting she was being sexually exploited. The girl led vice officers to a hotel in northwest Calgary where they discovered three other young women, aged 16, 17 and 20, in a room.

Codie Toby Cardinal, also known as Brooklyn Cardinal, 38, of Calgary, has been charged with:

• Two counts of human trafficking.
• Two counts of benefiting from trafficking in people.
• One count each of procuring a person to become a prostitute, living on the avails of prostitution and living on the avails of a prostitute under the age of 18.

Police said further charges may be laid. Two of the young women remain in protective care while two have returned home.

The two in care are getting support through Alberta's Protection of Sexually Exploited Children Act, which recognizes that underage victims of prostitution have been abused.

"The treatment is tailored to the needs of the youth to help provide them the supports they need," explained Stuart Elson, spokesman for Alberta Children and Youth Services. "It runs the gambit between addiction services, psychological services, health services. It's life skills support."