EXCLUSIVE: Very quietly, undercover officers from Bergen County have been luring suspected prostitutes who’ve advertised on Craigslist into arrests as part of a joint investigation involving the county prosecutor’s office and local police departments, CLIFFVIEW PILOT has learned.
A sweep that last week included Little Ferry and Hackensack police netted no fewer than 10 people, most of whom were charged with prostitution. A couple of alleged johns were also among the suspects.
All were released almost immediately after or within a short time of being processed at the Bergen County Jail.
One of them, a 25-year-old Brazilian citizen named Stephanie Caetano Andrade (photo above), had to post $2,500 bail after being charged with both prostitution and drug possession.
Those arrested range in age from 20 to 34, although one of the accused hookers turned 46 earlier this month.
Investigators arranged to meet all of them while responding to ads on Craigslist.com, Hackensack Police Director Michael Mordaga told CLIFFVIEW PILOT.
CLIFFVIEW PILOT is withholding the name of the Route 46 meeting place while the investigation continues.