Montreal: Canadian authorities revealed on Thursday the dismantling of an extensive network engaged in smuggling migrants, facilitating the illicit passage of hundreds from Canada into the United States.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), in collaboration with American counterparts, announced the arrest of four individuals, with warrants issued for four others currently evading capture.
According to RCMP statements, the group orchestrated a scheme wherein migrants arriving in Canada from various nations were charged exorbitant fees to aid their illegal crossing of the St. Lawrence River into the United States, near Cornwall, Ontario.
The smuggling operations, active between July 2022 and June 2023, are estimated to have transported hundreds of individuals, some of whom tragically perished during perilous nocturnal crossings, as noted by the federal police.
Inspector Etienne Thauvette emphasized the exploitation of migrants’ desperation by transnational criminal syndicates for profit, showing blatant disregard for the well-being of those seeking refuge in North America.
Among the accused, aged between 21 and 51, are two individuals hailing from the Indigenous border community of Akwesasne, where incidents, including the deaths of two families—one from Romania and the other from India—highlighted the grave risks associated with such illegal crossings in March 2023.
