TUBBA CITY, Arizona — Indigenous people in northern Arizona are said to be targeted by people trying to take them to behavioral health centers in the Phoenix area, according to police.

Sergeant Roland Dash Navajo Police Department He said he had never seen anything like this before.

The situation came to Dash’s attention after speaking with a local man who claimed he was picked up by a white van in August and taken to a residential treatment center in Phoenix.

“I started getting more and more calls like that,” Dash said.

In these reports, Navajo residents disappeared walking the streets or being picked up by people in white vans and SUVs at flea markets. Investigators claim it was a behavioral health recruiter who was driving, and said they would take the victim to a group home for treatment.

But when they reach the valley, police say some of them are stranded with no way back to the Navajo Nation.

Sergeant Dash cannot yet say whether criminal activity has taken place as the case is still under investigation.

More than 60 cases of this scenario have been reported in Tuba City so far, Dash added, and the Navajo are in contact with other tribal communities about the situation.

Arizona Legislation Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples Task Force At last month’s meeting, we discussed these “hire” cases.

State Senator Teresa Hatterly, whose constituency includes most of the Navajo Nation, told committee members that relatives had been in touch with the missing family members.

The senator said the state is looking at ways to ensure that these indigenous peoples are protected and not exploited.

“We have met with policy advisors and are working through the states to find those laws and what their reporting processes are to ensure oversight from[the Department of Health]and funding sources. ‘ said Hattersley. he said at a committee meeting.

The FBI in Phoenix is ​​also involved in investigating these recruitment cases. FBI Phoenix office spokesman Kevin Smith released the following statement:

“This situation is well known to the FBI, and we are working with our Navajo Nation partners and other agencies to investigate what is happening here.”

Smith would like to provide information to anyone who has tips.fbi.gov.

speed up

Check out the latest news and stories on our 12News YouTube playlist here.