The mayor of Methuen, Massachusetts is "declaring a war on human trafficking" after the city shut down two spas. 

Police arrested the Beauty Garden Spa's manager, Suping Zhu, 38, in New York after a neighbor reported suspicious activity at the business. 

Mayor D. J. Beauregard said he will create a human trafficking task force after Police Chief Scott McNamara said that there are similar operations happening in the city.

"We believe it's happening now," McNamara said. "We want them to know that we are coming for them next."

"We will work together to identify traffickers, shutter illegal businesses that profit from this evil, and hold landlords accountable if they harbor and profit from such activities," Beauregard said in a statement on Monday.

Beauregard told reporters that there is a zero-tolerance policy for anyone operating or soliciting services from places like Beauty Garden Spa. 

"We are declaring a war on human trafficking in the city of Methuen," Mayor Beauregard said.

McNamara said that they are currently looking at the building's landlord and are searching for a suspected co-manager, 36-year-old Yi Yu Huang, who lives in Brooklyn, New York. As of right now, no patrons of the spa have been charged, but police said they had interviewed some who admitted to paying for sexual acts.

Zhu has been charged with prostitution, keeper of a house of ill fame, and trafficking a person for sexual servitude. She was arraigned in Lawrence District Court on Monday. She is being held on $25,000 cash bail and was ordered not to contact the victims or witnesses. She also has to surrender her passport. She will be back in court on October 24. 

Another alleged Methuen trafficking front shut down

Eastern Bodywork Therapy on Hampshire Street in Methuen was shut down for alleged human trafficking activities, Beauregard announced. 

He said that the city had received a complaint about the business and sent an investigator. 

"The site was being used as an unlicensed bodywork establishment. Evidence of unlawful habitation and other materials consistent with criminal activity were found in plain view," a press release said.  

The shutdown of Eastern Bodywork Therapy comes less than 24 hours after Beauty Garden Spa. No arrests have been announced in connection with this shutdown. 

Woman helps police shut down spa

Beth Foote lives close to Beauty Garden Spa and began reporting what was going on at the business after noticing women getting dropped off with suitcases.

"We saw them coming in and out every month, every two months, every couple of weeks," Foote said. She said that she never saw anyone sitting outside the spa on break.

"You saw people bringing food supplies in, and I mean it was pretty blatant," Foote said.

McNamara said it was thanks to reports and photos from Foote that they were able to send in an undercover officer. While inside the spa, he was solicited for services, which helped police get a warrant. 

Once inside, they found two women who were living in the building's basement. McNamara said that reports indicated that the women were working 12 hours a day, seven days a week, under "the most exploitative conditions."

Police said that they found phones, computers, credit cards, cash and records inside the business. They also interviewed two women while working there.