A member of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) who was stationed at a military base near Ottawa has been arrested on charges of human trafficking, death threats, and illegal substance possession, according to the Department of National Defence (DND).
A DND spokesperson told The Epoch Times by email on July 5 that military police arrested Master-Warrant Officer Jason Whalen, who was stationed in Petawawa, Ont., on July 1.
DND said the matter is being investigated by the Canadian Forces National Investigation Service and proceeding through the civilian justice system.
“The member is currently in civilian police custody,” DND said, adding that Mr. Whalen’s bail trial was scheduled for July 6.
“The chain of command takes these allegations seriously and will carry out the appropriate administrative measures for this member,” the department said. “The charges against the member have yet to be tested in court, and in the interest of procedural fairness, it would be inappropriate to speculate on possible outcomes.”
Charges levied against Mr. Whalen include one count of “Trafficking in Persons,” one count of “Possession for the Purposes of Trafficking,” one count of “Threat to Cause Death or Harm,” and one count of illegal substance possession.
The Epoch Times also contacted the Ontario Provincial Police for further details on the matter, but an OPP spokesperson said the arrest is a military police matter.
The Epoch Times also sought to contact Mr. Whalen but could not reach him.
DND said that Mr. Whalen joined the CAF in 1998 and was serving as a material management technician with the Royal Canadian Dragoons in Petawawa at the time of his arrest. The rank of master-warrant officer is the second highest among non-commissioned officers.
The department did not elaborate on the charges levied against him by military police.
Mr. Whalen had been deployed to Afghanistan several times earlier in his career, DND said, and he served there from December 2001 to July 2002, June to December 2005, and February to October 2012.
“He has not had any other deployments,” DND added.
The department said that any further information about Mr. Whalen is protected under the federal Privacy Act.
