Canadian soldier arrested on human trafficking charges

A member of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) stationed at a military base near Ottawa has been arrested on charges of human trafficking, death threats and illegal possession of assets, according to the Department of National Defense (DND).

A spokesman for DND told The Epoch Times by email on July 5 that on July 1, military police arrested Master-Warrant Officer Jason Whalen, who was stationed in Petawawa, Ontario.

DND said the case is being investigated by the Canadian Forces National Investigation Service and is proceeding through the civil justice system.

“The member is currently in civilian police custody,” said DND, adding that Mr Whalen’s bail trial was scheduled for July 6.

“The chain of command takes these allegations seriously and will take appropriate administrative action for this member,” the department said. “The charges against the member have yet to be tested in court, and in the interest of procedural justice it would be inappropriate to speculate on possible outcomes.”

The charges against Mr. Whalen include a charge of “Trafficking in Persons”, a charge of “Possession for the Purpose of Human Trafficking”, a charge of “Threat or Harm” and a charge of illegal possession of substances.

The Epoch Times also contacted the Ontario Provincial Police for more information about the case, but an OPP spokesman said the arrest is a military police matter.

The Epoch Times also tried to contact Mr. Whalen, but was unable to reach him.

DND said Mr Whalen joined the CAF in 1998 and was serving as a materials management technician with the Royal Canadian Dragoons in Petawawa at the time of his arrest. The rank of petty officer is the second highest among petty officers.

The department did not comment on the allegations made against him by the military police.

Mr Whalen deployed to Afghanistan several times earlier in his career, DND said, serving there from December 2001 to July 2002, June to December 2005 and February to October 2012.

“He has had no other deployments,” added DND.

The department said any further information about Mr. Whalen is protected by federal privacy law.

According to a 2014 CAF document titled “Honours & Recognition for the Men and Women of the Canadian Armed Forces”, Sergeant Jason Whalen received the Chief of the Defense Staff’s commendation for “outstanding achievement as a Fielding Non-Commissioned Officer with the Consolidated Fielding Center in Afghanistan” of March until November 2012.