Methuen Shuts Multiple Spas in Trafficking Probe

Methuen officials ordered three additional day spas — Oriental Spa (119 Swan St.), Yellow Lilly Day Spa (17 Baldwin St., #6) and Lavender Spa (17 Baldwin St., #7) — closed by cease-and-desist, bringing the total to five after earlier shutdowns of Beauty Garden Spa and Eastern Bodywork Therapy. Inspectors cited unlicensed activity, evidence of unlawful habitation and multiple code violations, including unpermitted construction, blocked egress and unsanitary conditions, and referred the cases to Methuen police for criminal investigation. The actions follow a lengthy investigation of Beauty Garden Spa that included surveillance, undercover operations and a Sept. 4 search warrant where officers found living quarters for two women and seized phones, computers and records. Beauty Garden Spa manager Suping Zhu, 38, of Flushing, N.Y., was charged with deriving support from prostitution, keeping a house of ill fame and trafficking a person for sexual servitude; she pleaded not guilty, is being held on $25,000 cash bail, and has additional hearings scheduled. Mayor D.J. Beauregard and Police Chief Scott McNamara said the city is declaring war on human trafficking and vowed to target traffickers, landlords and customers as inspections continue citywide. Separately, Reno’s HEAT Unit concluded a months-long probe into Wonderful Massage that used undercover operations and online-ad monitoring to document prostitution-related activity, resulting in that parlor’s shutdown and license closure.