North Texas police bust human trafficking ring in Collin County

PRINCETON, Texas – It's the ultimate “see something, say something” story.

Police say a pest control worker showed up to exterminate a home on Ginsburg Lane in Princeton, but became suspicious when he realized folding tables were the only furniture, suitcases filled several rooms and there was an air mattress for more than a dozen women.

His company called Princeton police.

And the police say that this information led to the bust of a large network of forced labor trafficking operating in Collin County and beyond.

“In my 20 years in Princeton, there's nothing of this magnitude that's happened or anything along these lines that I'm aware of,” said Princeton Police Chief James Waters.

Fifteen victims — all women between the ages of 23 and 26 — were discovered in the Ginsburg Lane home.

But police believe the ring had been operating for three to five years and could have had as many as 100 victims – men and women.

Four people have already been arrested and charged by trafficking: Dwaraka Gunda, 31, and her husband Santhosh Katkoori, 31, of Melissa, Texas; Chandan Dasireddy, 24, of Melissa, Texas; and Anil Male, 37, of Prosper, Texas.

Court documents obtained by WFAA reveal that at least three of the four suspects claim to be Indian citizens.

According to a probable cause statement, the victims told police that Dasireddy picked them all up from an airport for what they believed was a practice to learn the Javanese script.

But Princeton police say, based on laptops, cellphones, printers and fraudulent documents they seized in multiple locations — they believe the women actually worked for multiple software companies.

The statement says that once the women found other jobs, the companies they worked for would pay Katkoori and Gunda's company, then the couple would take 20 percent of the salary and give the rest to the women.

Meanwhile, police say the women were living in squalid conditions – sleeping 5 to 8 to a room with mattresses, blankets or a single air mattress.

“It was illegal work,” Waters said.

Since the initial tip, police say they discovered multiple other locations in Princeton, Melissa, McKinney and beyond that were involved.

“It drove from one inner-city house to another inner-city house to multiple houses in multiple cities across the state,” Waters said.

Federal agencies are now involved, including the Department of Homeland Security.

Court documents do not explain whether the victims were targeted or lured to the city or where they might be from.

If you know of any details or are a victim of human/labor trafficking, Princeton Police ask you to call them at 972-736-3901 or call 9-1-1.