Five people have been arrested in connection with trafficking women for sex at brothels in and around Boston.
The arrests were made Thursday in a joint operation by the FBI and Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey's office. The brothels were in Boston, Cambridge, North Reading and Quincy.
Pingxia Fan and Simon Shimao Lin, both of Boston, and Timothy Hayes, of Gloucester, pleaded not guilty to charges including trafficking of persons for sexual servitude, deriving support from prostitution and keeping a house of ill fame. A judge set their bail at $150,000.
Robert Mozer and Biqun Xiao, both of Deerfield, New Hampshire, were charged with conspiracy to traffic persons for sexual servitude. Bail for Mozer was set at $50,000 after he entered a not guilty plea.
Xiao will be arraigned on Friday.