Human smuggling is biggest challenge at southwestern Ontario border crossings: RCMP
CBC News | Posted: October 1, 2024 2:33 PM | Last Updated: October 1
Const. Ian Smith says people normally smuggled into Canada are from war-torn countries
A spokesperson for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) says human smuggling is their biggest challenge at southwestern Ontario-U.S. border crossings.
Const. Ian Smith, who's stationed in Windsor, calls it a great challenge to combat — and "very common."
"I would suggest probably daily," he said.
WATCH | RCMP weighs in on human smuggling at southwestern Ontario border crossings:
"I don't know the statistics by any means, but we come across it quite often, and you can imagine the coastline … is huge and we can't possibly patrol all of it at once."
Human smuggling is often confused with human trafficking. Smuggling involves the consent of the person being moved — and they are generally free to do what they want once they've arrived at their country of destination. The source for profit from smuggling is a fee associated with the act, whereas in trafficking cases, profits are made through the exploitation of the victim.
Smith says the people coming into Canada are normally from war-torn countries where they don't have it as good as we have it here.
"They just want a better life for the most part. ... If you're caught being smuggled into Canada, or out, you're going to be arrested and we'll do an investigation to suit."
The RCMP operation in Windsor is comprised of approximately 40 staff, he says, with their mandate focused on anything crossing the international border into Canada.
"Or even outgoing is our concern, from smuggling to any contraband, drugs, guns, you name it. If it comes into this country, it's our mandate to investigate it."
If you haven't noticed much of an RCMP presence in Windsor over the years, there's a good reason for that, according to Smith.
Aside from the officers on their boats, most are not in uniform, but are plain clothes officers.
"Our bread and butter most of the time is working with the Canada Border Services Agency on large drug seizures at the international ports, in Sarnia and in Windsor."
The RCMP investigates after CBSA intercepts contraband or people illegally coming into the country.
"Our mandate is to do the investigation, lay the criminal charges, do the back end on it, find out where they came from, where they're going, and hopefully disrupt the organization that's bringing that contraband across the border."