Five people were arrested Thursday on sex trafficking charges for allegedly running a ring of brothels in Boston, Cambridge, North Reading, and Quincy involving 10 female victims, law enforcement officials said.

A joint investigation by the FBI and state Attorney General Maura Healey’s office led to the takedown of a “major human trafficking and money laundering operation that extended through Greater Boston,’’ officials said in a statement.

Arrested were Pingxia Fan, 40, and Simon Shimao Lin, 59, both of Boston; Timothy Hayes, 50, of Gloucester; and Biqun Xiao, 47, and Robert Mozer, 65, both of Deerfield, N.H., the statement said.

“Sex trafficking is without a doubt the most common form of modern-day slavery and it’s big business,’’ said Harold H. Shaw, special agent in charge of the FBI Boston division.

Investigators allege the suspects operated five brothels in Greater Boston — two in Quincy and one each in Boston, Cambridge, and North Reading. They would arrange for women to meet with men to “provide commercial sexual services in exchange for cash,’’ and would then take the majority of the profits, officials said.

The brothels used online advertisements to attract customers, and the money was then laundered back into the business “to perpetuate the daily operations of the criminal enterprise,’’ the statement said.

Fan, Hayes and Lin were each charged with trafficking of persons for sexual servitude, deriving support from prostitution, money laundering, and other charges. Xiao and Mozer, who were arrested in Quincy, were each charged with conspiracy to traffic persons for sexual servitude, officials said.

Xiao is due to be arraigned Friday in Quincy District Court.

Fan, Hayes, Lin and Mozer were arraigned Thursday afternoon in Woburn District Court. Fan Hayes and Lin each held on $150,000 bail, while Mozer was held on $50,000 bail, the statement said.

Dylan McGuinness can be reached at dylan.mcguinness@globe.com.