NORTHAMPTON — The embattled Pine Spa in Florence, one of several area massage businesses embroiled in an ongoing human trafficking investigation, was condemned by the Board of Health and forced to close Friday until further notice after officials said workers were, again, sleeping on the premises.

Pine Spa was forced to close its doors Dec. 13, 2016, after authorities reported to the Board of Health that an investigation determined multiple people were living inside the spa, according to minutes from the board’s February meeting.

The same day, the state attorney general’s office said four individuals, who stand accused of running trafficking operations out of five massage businesses, were arrested and stand accused of trafficking women from New York City to perform sex acts for money inside Pine Spa, Hadley Massage Therapy, Feng Health Center in East Longmeadow, Massage Body Work in Framingham and Agawam Massage Therapy.

After Pine Spa was initially condemned in December, it re-opened its doors last month after the Board of Health voted unanimously to rescind the condemnation.

Health Director Merridith O’Leary told the Gazette in March, after Pine Spa re-opened, that it was “very clear” after a re-inspection that people were no longer sleeping onsite. Nevertheless, police continued to actively monitor the site.

Within a week of beginning to once again welcome customers, police said reports began to come in indicating people were continuing to inhabit the business. So on Friday morning, Northampton police and Board of Health officials ordered staff out of the building and condemned the property.

Nobody appeared to be inside the business on Friday when a Gazette reporter visited the site. Northampton police Detective Sgt. Victor Caputo said the Board of Health is expected to conduct a follow-up assessment next week.

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