Man charged after eight migrants illegally cross border into Manitoba: RCMP

An RCMP cruiser is seen in an undated file photo. (Jeremy Thompson/CTV News Edmonton)

Manitoba RCMP has charged a man with human smuggling after he was allegedly caught picking up a group of migrants crossing into Canada last month.

According to RCMP, officers were alerted to the crossing at 10:30 p.m. on Aug. 22. Eight people were seen walking north from the United States into Canada west of the Gretna entry port, and getting picked up by a man in a rental vehicle.

Officers conducted a traffic stop, arrested the driver, and apprehended the group of eight under the Customs Act.

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Of the group arrested under the Customs Act, four men and one woman were from the Republic of Chad, two men were from the Republic of Sudan and one woman was from the Republic of Guinea. The migrants ranged in age from 19 to 48 years old.

They were turned over to the Canada Border Service Agency for processing.

The driver, a 35-year-old Somali national living in Winnipeg, was charged with human smuggling. He was released on conditions and is back in court in Emerson on Oct. 16. The charge has not been proven in court.