Quebec has put together a team of investigators specializing in the fight against human trafficking for sexual exploitation.

Its aim is to target individuals or groups who are involved in sexual exploitation -- pimps and johns in particular.

Public Safety Minister Martin Coiteux announced the new squad Friday as he outlined the province’s strategy to prevent and fight sexual violence.

Led by the Montreal police, the new team will have officials from police forces in Quebec City, Longueuil, Gatineau and Laval, as well as the Sûreté du Québec and the RCMP.

The cost of the new Integrated Team to Fight Pimping (Équipe intégrée de lutte contre le proxénétisme – EILP) will be shared between the police forces and the Quebec government. The province will put forth some $6.4 million for the next five years, and individual police forces will contribute to a total budget of $12 million.

"Collectively, we have a duty to act to prevent and respond to sexual violence. Government of Quebec, police stakeholders, community partners, civil society actors: we all have a role to play in this regard. Today, I am pleased to see the willingness of these police forces to work together to combat the criminal activities associated with this form of violence," said Coiteux.

The unit will be headquartered in Montreal.