Manitoba RCMP have charged a 30-year-old man from Winnipeg with human smuggling.
Shortly after 2 a.m. Thursday morning, an officer with RCMP Central Traffic Services conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle located on McGillivray Boulevard in the City of Winnipeg.
The vehicle contained a driver and eight occupants; a 33-year-old woman, and seven men between the ages of 25 and 36. Seven were confirmed to be foreign nationals from the Republic of Chad and one from the Republic of Mali.
The 30-year-old driver was arrested for human smuggling under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) and remanded into custody where he appeared in court in Winnipeg on Friday.
The other eight individuals were arrested under the Customs Act and transported to an Immigration Support Center in Winnipeg where they were released from RCMP custody.
RCMP continue to investigate.