Mayor Adams, NYPD shut down several brothels disguised as massage parlors in Queens

QUEENS - Dozens of NYPD officers prepped at the 115th Precinct for a mission to shut down at least six brothels in Queens operating under the guise of massage parlors.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams, as well as law enforcement officials, scoped out the operation hours before making the official call Thursday morning to take the parlors down.

"We all know what sex trafficking is about, and it’s important to focus on the brothels who are creating this climate," Adams said.

Police stormed into one Jackson Heights parlor around 4:45 p.m., where neighboring businesses celebrated the bust after months and months of complaints.

"Finally, finally we’re happy because they start standing in front of our doors, and it’s a big mess for us," said Rajbir Kaur, who works just next door to one of the parlors shuttered by police. 

Kaur said she saw ladies luring men into the dimly lit prostitution parlor, lined with curtains and beds.

One resident told FOX 5 NY he and his neighbors were well-aware of what was going on within the walls of the shop.

The scene on Roosevelt Avenue.

"All I see, girls call in customers, saying massage, massage and sometime, they even grab the customers inside. That’s what I see a lot," he recalled. 

Mayor Adams, following the police sweep, briefed the press on the message the city hopes to send. 

City councilman Francisco Moya, who represents the community, tipped off police to the sex trafficking area, saying brothels had parents in the community uneasy knowing they were operating within just feet of a school at one point. 

Owners of the alleged sex trafficking shops remain unidentified, so far.

"Sex trafficking is real, and these horrid conditions make it clear why the New York City Police Department were not going sit idly by and pretend as though it does not happen," Adams said. 

So far, owners of the alleged sex trafficking shops remain unidentified, and possible charges connected to the sweep remain unknown. 

Editor's Note: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated massage parlors were fronting as brothels. This article has been updated to reflect brothels were being disguised as massage parlors.