The RCMP logo is seen outside Royal Canadian Mounted Police “E” Division Headquarters, in Surrey, B.C., on Friday, April 13, 2018. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck)
Manitoba RCMP have charged a Winnipeg man after allegedly smuggling African nationals into the city.
Officers pulled over a vehicle early Thursday morning on McGillivray Boulevard in Winnipeg.
Police say eight people were inside the vehicle, including a 33-year-old woman and seven men, aged 25, 27, 28, 29, 30, 33 and 36. Seven were confirmed to be foreign nationals from the Republic of Chad and one from the Republic of Mali.
The driver was identified as Abdi Hassan Ali, 30, of Winnipeg. He was arrested for human smuggling and remains in custody. He appeared in a Winnipeg courtroom on Friday.
The other people in the vehicle were arrested and transported to an immigration support centre in Winnipeg, where they were released from RCMP custody.
Mounties continue to investigate.
