I just recently heard about “Aquariumgate” - apparently there are places labeled as Aquariums on Google maps which are out in the middle of nowhere and appear to be a front for prostitution or human trafficking.
https://ramonaleone.com/magazine/aquariumgate/
Just starting a thread about it because I couldn’t find an existing one here.
Here is the thing. I am a hobbyist in the reef aquarium industry. Alot of these people are online coral/fish/product vendors. And use their homes as the llc/passthru. Because you can make alot alot of $$$ from 1 reef tank. Some corals sell for $150 per polyp, which is the size of a shirt button. These people might have either online businesses, or vend on facebook. There is ways you can cross check into it. BUT this is possibly why there is alot of this going on.
but they all seem to be in texas. and they ALL have two letters. WTF!
I am not saying this is the only case. I am saying there is reef keepers who sell corals from a tank inside their house. In doing this. Their house is now the business passthru for their sales. And goes off their social security number. Like a reseller license. It's a tax ID stamp essentially, They need a name, and a physical brick and mortar also to do animal imports. This is a MUST. So another reason why. Again I am not saying this to discredit. Use what I am saying, and now you can cross check data. See whom is a real re-seller, and isnt. This isnt to stop you, this is to help you narrow shit down.
Except the “businesses” aren’t listed at an actual address. The listings give a range of addresses on a block. And then a star marks a specific house.
I am not denying that there is something hinky. I am giving you guys an Exclusion tool. You can trace back now hobbyists businesses. That are being their home address. I do the same thing, I sell corals. I know alot of others who do this and sell corals, fish. And to get an importers license you MUST MUST have a brick and mortae establishment. As your business. AGAIN I am not denying this. Only giving you guys some shit to work with. Giving you inside information, thats not very common knowledge.