A Regina man who was sentenced in the United States to six months in prison for human smuggling has been arrested in Saskatoon after being deported back to Canada.
Victor Omoruyi, 41, was arrested by members of the RCMP integrated border enforcement team at Saskatoon International Airport on the afternoon of Nov. 21.
He is charged with one count of human smuggling and one count of aiding or abetting under the Immigration & Refugee Protection Act and is scheduled to appear Thursday afternoon in Saskatoon provincial court for a bail hearing.
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Omoruyi had pleaded guilty in May in a U.S. federal court to the transport of illegal aliens.
Authorities said he had helped move nine Nigerian citizens and asylum seekers from North Dakota to the Canadian border on April 14.
Omoruyi was arrested just south of the Canada-U.S. boundary.
Police arrested his wife Michelle on the Canadian side of the boundary with nine people inside her vehicle.
She is charged with one count of human smuggling and one count of conspiracy to commit human smuggling. A court date has not been set.
The nine people found in the vehicle have made refugee claims to stay in Canada.
The four-month long Project FADDUCE investigation involved members of the Canada Border Services Agency, United States Customs and Border Protection – Office of the Border Patrol and Office of Field Operations and Homeland Security Investigations.
With files from The Canadian Press
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