Saskatchewan RCMP’s Human Trafficking and Counter Exploitation Unit (HTCEU), part of the Saskatchewan Enforcement Response Teams (SERT), along with the Saskatoon RCMP Detachment, have laid multiple charges against a 51-year-old man in connection with a human trafficking investigation originating in Dundurn, SK.
On October 23, 2024, at approximately 5:15 a.m., Saskatoon RCMP responded to a call reporting a kidnapping at a business in Dundurn. Officers arrived and located a woman from Ontario, who appeared to have been held against her will. Following initial investigations, the HTCEU determined that the woman had been forcibly taken from Toronto and trafficked across Ontario, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan.
Pierre Andre Bouchard, 51, from Chambly, QC, faces multiple charges, including human trafficking, forcible confinement, sexual assault, and possession of property obtained by crime. Bouchard was arrested by the Saskatoon Police Service on October 23 and appeared in Saskatoon Provincial Court on October 24. He is remanded into custody, with his next appearance scheduled for November 5, 2024.
The investigation, still ongoing, involves collaboration with several law enforcement agencies across Canada, including RCMP detachments in Saskatoon and Yorkton, Saskatoon Police Service’s VICE Unit, Regina Police Service, and police services in Toronto and Brandon.
Inspector Jeff Smoliak, senior investigative officer for SERT, emphasized the importance of inter-jurisdictional collaboration, stating, “Human trafficking affects communities of all sizes, not just urban centres. It’s a reality in both big cities and small towns, including those here in Saskatchewan.”
RCMP urge anyone with information or who may be a victim of human trafficking to contact 310-RCMP or the confidential Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-833-900-1010. Information can also be submitted anonymously through Saskatchewan Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or www.saskcrimestoppers.com.