The RCMP says three Canadians were caught with allegedly forged passports at an Ontario land border after they made a wrong turn towards the bridge to the U.S. and were forced to turn back.
In a news release issued Thursday, the national police service said the suspects were referred by CBSA border services officers at the Peace Bridge port of entry in Fort Erie, Ont., for secondary screening as they tried to get back into the country.
Upon inspection, the RCMP said the three suspects were found to be in possession of six fake passports, equipment “consistent with the production of forged documents,” roughly $24,000 worth of U.S. and Canadian currency, as well as 84 credit, debit and gift cards, and drug paraphernalia.
The RCMP’s Niagara-on-the-Lake Border Intergrity Unit took over the investigation and charged three suspects, all of whom are from Quebec, with possessing forged documents, possessing stolen or fraudulent credit and debit cards, and defrauding “various” Canadian banks of money exceeding $5,000.
The suspects have been identified by police as Domenico Cherubini, 51, of Granby, Que., Minh Nguyen, 40, and Christian Ndizeye, 33, both from Montreal.
“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,” RCMP Supt. Dale Foote, said in a statement.
“We remain committed to working collaboratively to detect, disrupt, and investigate criminal activity that threatens the safety and security of our communities.”
