PARKERSBURG — Four people at two competing massage parlors have been arrested on prostitution charges.

According to a release from the Parkersburg Police Department, two women at Hot Stone Massage, 3003 Murdoch Ave., and two women at Asian Massage Parlor, 3501 Emerson Ave., Suite 5A, were arrested Wednesday evening, the result of an undercover investigation into allegations of prostitution.

The investigation began after police received an anonymous report of “improper sexual engagements” at Hot Stone. Detectives worked with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on the investigation due in part to concerns over potential human trafficking, Parkersburg Police Chief Joe Martin said.

“Prostitution is a means of restitution for someone that was trafficked into the country,” he said.

Through the investigation, it was determined that other businesses were in operation in other cities and states under the same owner, the release says. In addition, similar suspected practices were identified at Asian Massage.

Each parlor is owned by a different individual and the businesses were not working in concert, Martin said, “which is unusual for a town this size.”

In January, an undercover officer received a massage at each business, and the defendants “completed an agreement for sexual favors,” the release says. A second undercover operation was conducted to further the investigation, with the same results, it says.

Detectives executed search warrants at both locations around 6:15 p.m. Wednesday and arrested four women whose addresses corresponded with the massage facilities.

Arrested at Hot Stone Massage were Hua Yun Sun, 55, and Shu Ying Jiao, 56, both of 3003 Murdoch Ave. Each woman was charged with two counts of prostitution and one count each of operating a house of ill fame and operating a massage business without a license. Both were arraigned Thursday in Wood County Magistrate Court and released on $2,000 bonds.

At Asian Massage Parlor, police arrested owner/operator Zuqiong Li, 57, on two counts of prostitution and one count each of operating a house of ill fame and operating a massage business without a license. She was released on a $2,000 bond as well. Also arrested was Yun Lin Lui, 43, on charges of prostitution and operating a massage business without a license. She was released on a $1,000 bond. Both were listed as living at the business, 3501 Emerson Ave.

Martin said Homeland Security was also able to assist detectives with overcoming a language barrier with the suspects.

“It took several hours to interview all four of these females after the arrest,” he said.

Items including log books with customer names, cash, video recordings and electronic devices were recovered by investigators, the release says.

The investigation remains under way, Martin said, and additional arrests are possible as authorities work their way up the chain.

“They (the women arrested) were sent here. They’re not the upper leadership by any means,” he said.

The chief said the operations could have been placed in the area due to recent increases in oil and natural gas industry activity.

“Wherever there’s money, there’s going to be this type of crime,” Martin said.

The owners of the properties are being notified of what was going on at the businesses, Martin said. They fall under an ordinance approved in 2017 declaring properties used twice in a 12-month period for drug activity, illegal gambling or prostitution as public nuisances and requiring owners to work with city officials to remedy the situation.