Canada police say they broke up group that smuggled people into US

By Reuters
June 07, 2024
Agencies including the RCMP, OPP and Akwesasne police announced the arrest of four people Thursday as part of a multi-year investigation into a human smuggling ring. — CBC/file
Agencies including the RCMP, OPP and Akwesasne police announced the arrest of four people Thursday as part of a multi-year investigation into a human smuggling ring. — CBC/file

TORONTO: Canadian authorities have broken up a large-scale human smuggling ring that they say moved hundreds of migrants illegally into the eastern United States over a year-long period, police said on Thursday.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police said they had arrested four people and issued arrest warrants for four others.

The gang allegedly charged migrants thousands of dollars each before moving them through communities along the St. Lawrence River and then across into the United States between July 2022 and June 2023. “Many people from all over the world come to North America desperately seeking a better life,” said RCMP Inspector Etienne Thauvette, part of a special unit combating cross-border crime.