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Regina police say a Calgary man has been arrested and charged with human trafficking offences after a lengthy investigation spanning two provinces.
Abdoulaye Gadjiko, 28, is accused of forcing a woman into the sex trade and profiting from the crime, Deputy police Chief Laurel Marshall said.
Marshall told media Wednesday the sixth-month investigation, dubbed Project Anchor, began in November after Regina police received a tip about a possible human trafficking situation.
Marshall said it’s rare in such cases for there to be only one victim.
“We would believe that there are several victims out there,” Marshall said, adding holding people accountable for human trafficking will hopefully encourage victims to contact police.
She said the offences happened in Regina and across western Canada between December 2023 and November 2025.
The Regina Police Service’s vice unit investigated the case, along with Calgary police and the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Team’s human trafficking enforcement unit.
Gadjiko was arrested in Calgary on May 20, and officers searched four homes, one business and a vehicle in Calgary during the investigation, Marshall said.
He faces several charges:
Human traffickingMaterial benefit resulting from traffickingProcuringMaterial benefit from sexual servicesAdvertising sexual servicesPossession of proceeds of crime over $5,000Money laundering Failing to comply with conditions
Marshall declined to say whether Gadjiiko was known to Regina police.
She said human trafficking investigations are often complex and that charges have rarely been laid in Regina. The last charge she is aware of was laid in 2019.
Regina police have helped in investigations where charges are laid in other jurisdictions, and they continue to investigate cases in Regina.
“Our priority is always the victim’s safety and allowing them to escape or to get out of their situation and to be able to be safe,” Marshall said.
“Following up with investigations and prosecutions is secondary to that.”
Gadjiko made his first appearance in provincial court in Regina on Wednesday.