Human trafficking charges laid following high-seas bust
Posted Jun 23, 2010 05:35:20 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
RCMP have charged two men from Ukraine with human trafficking after a vessel was intercepted off the coast of Shelburne over the weekend.
Saturday evening coast guard boat Earl Grey came across a 75 foot boat named Valetta en route from Bermuda.
RCMP Staff Sergeant Alan Harding says on-board were 10 people of Eastern European descent.
“Yesterday evening the RCMP arrested two males in relation to attempted human smuggling,” he said.
Ukrainian residents Vasyl Aksenin, 26, and Mykola Tyshkivskyy, 46, appeared in court today and will remain in custody.
“It is believed that the individuals on the vessel paid a significant amount of money to come to Canada,” said Harding. “Our investigation is currently ongoing to determine if other individuals are involved.”
RCMP wouldn’t say how much money was involved.
They say the people on board were in good health, however Canadian Border Services Agency officials wouldn’t say if they were claiming refugee status.
They also refused to comment on where the other eight people are now.
