Smugglers are advertising illegal Canada-U.S. border crossings on TikTok
CBC
"We do it every day. It will take one hour to arrive at the destination. From there you need to walk 40 minutes through the jungle."
"Is it safe?"
"Yes brother. It is not our first time."
Radio-Canada had this conversation recently over WhatsApp with an individual associated with one of a dozen TikTok accounts we identified that were advertising an illegal service: helping Indian temporary residents in Canada cross into the U.S. outside of official border points.
The individual offering a trip of "40 minutes through the jungle" did not disclose his real name to Radio-Canada but claimed to live in Brampton, Ont.
These accounts promise safe passage into the U.S. from Montreal, Brampton or Surrey, B.C. One of the accounts has more than 360,000 followers on TikTok and seems primarily to target Indian students living in Canada.
The number of irregular entries into the U.S. from Canada has exploded in recent months. Such irregular crossings are prohibited by Canadian and American laws. People wanting to cross the border must do so at official entry points.
Some of the videos posted by these TikTok accounts contain testimonials in Punjabi from supposedly satisfied customers.
"Brother, we have come to the U.S. from Canada. And we have just arrived. We have come through brother Harry. His [service] is outstanding. We have come through very easily," one man, his face covered by a Canadian flag, says in one of the testimonial videos.
In another video, a client claims to have crossed into New York State from Montreal on Aug. 8.
"Brother Harry made us cross and we reached [our destination] absolutely safe. The way was safe. After walking for around 25 minutes, we reached our destination comfortably. We paid all the money later," she says.
Using a fake profile, Radio-Canada contacted "Harry," one of the dozen accounts we identified. We asked him how he could help us cross from Montreal into the United States. Harry asked for $5,000 and assured Radio-Canada the sum would be payable after the crossing.
Another account Radio-Canada contacted sent screenshots of conversations with satisfied clients and offered more details on how the border crossing would work.
The account holder told Radio-Canada that an Uber driver would pick us up in Montreal, at night, before dropping us off near the border in southern Quebec. We would have to cross on foot. He said he would not be there in person.
