Akwesasne police disrupt suspected human smuggling ring on Cornwall Island
Montreal Crime
A suspected human smuggling operation was disrupted on Cornwall Island by the Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service last weekend, the force said on Tuesday.
In a Facebook post, the AMPS said they were alerted to the incident at about 12:30 p.m. on Saturday after Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal Police in Akwesasne, New York, intercepted three Brazilian citizens — an adult man, a woman, and a child — in the Raquette Point area, just across the river from Cornwall Island.
The individuals, who spoke limited English, reported being held against their will for several days at a private residence with minimal necessities provided.
An investigation led officers to a home on Cornwall Island (Kawehno:ke), Ontario, where police later found two more migrants along with a local Akwesasne resident, who were detained.
According to police, the migrants had active extradition warrants from the United States related to immigration violations.
The operation involved collaboration among AMPS, Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal Police, the RCMP, Sûreté du Québec, and the Canada Border Services Agency.
The AMPS said the investigation is ongoing and are asking anyone with information to contact AMPS directly (613-575-2340 or tips@akwesasne.ca) or to anonymously contact Seaway Valley Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
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