The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) charged three people after seizing several forged passports and other materials at the Peace Bridge port of entry at Fort Erie.
Officers say three Canadians from Québec were referred to a secondary examination after they took a wrong turn towards the bridge into the United States.
They say officers working along with their detector dog team, found: six forged passports; equipment associated with the making of forged documents; around $24,000 worth of U.S. and Canadian currency; around 84 credit cards, debit cards and gift cards; and drug paraphernalia.
The three people were then arrested by the Canadian Border Security Agency, before the investigation was taken over by the RCMP’s Niagara-on-the-Lake border officers.
Domenico Cherubini, 51, of Granby, Minh Nguyen, 40, of Montreal, and Christian Ndizeye, 33, of Montreal, were charged with offenses including knowingly possessing a forged document, possessing proceeds of crime over $5,000, and for possessing credit or debit cards knowing they were obtained in violation of the criminal code.
“The interception of these forged documents and related materials underscores the critical role our agencies play in protecting Canada’s borders and safeguarding the integrity of our identification systems,” said RCMP Superintendent Dale Foote in a statement.
Anyone with information about suspicious cross-border activity, is asked to contact the CBSA Border Watch Line at 1-888-502-9060.
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