Two Montvale Avenue massage businesses in Stoneham were ordered to shut down Friday after coordinated inspections by local and federal authorities turned up a slate of violations. Natural Healing of Asia and All Season Spa, both advertised online as bodywork or massage establishments, were found to be out of compliance with local and state regulations and must stay closed until owners fix the cited problems. Town officials said the closures are about keeping residents safe while those compliance and safety issues get sorted out.
Inspections With FBI Task Force Involvement
According to NBC Boston, the inspections brought together town and state code officials, the Stoneham Police Department and FBI Boston’s Child Exploitation-Human Trafficking Task Force. Detectives had been watching the locations for months before the checks, the outlet reported, and calls to the phone numbers listed for both businesses reportedly went unanswered. Inspectors also stopped by another business on Montvale Avenue but did not shut that one down.
Police Chief Praises Coordination
Stoneham Police Chief James O'Connor said the joint effort highlights how seriously the town is taking these kinds of cases. “The collaborative effort underscores the town of Stoneham’s commitment to protecting residents and combating human trafficking,” he said, as quoted by NBC Boston. O'Connor thanked state and federal partners and said local investigators will keep conducting compliance checks at bodywork businesses. Police have not said whether they found evidence of trafficking at the closed locations or whether anyone could face criminal charges.
Part Of A Broader Regional Push
Stoneham is not acting in a vacuum. Other communities across the region have been using similar joint inspections to look for unlicensed operations and potential exploitation in spa and massage settings. Last fall, Methuen officials shut down several spas amid a trafficking probe, according to The Boston Globe. Local leaders say the goal with these kinds of enforcement sweeps is to protect both workers and customers while authorities separate straightforward regulatory violations from possible criminal activity.
What This Means Legally
At the state level, lawmakers and regulators have already been trying to rein in so-called bodyworks businesses that fall outside traditional massage licensing rules. An effort to close that “bodyworks loophole” and give the Division of Professional Licensure more power to inspect and enforce is outlined on Mass.gov. The FBI Boston website similarly describes how its Child Exploitation-Human Trafficking Task Force teams up with local and state agencies to investigate sexual exploitation cases.
For now, Stoneham officials say the two Montvale Avenue businesses will remain closed until they address the violations flagged during the inspections. Regulators will then decide whether to let them reopen. In the meantime, the town is urging anyone who may have information related to the businesses or possible trafficking concerns to contact Stoneham police.
