In a joint operation in Iqaluit on Sept. 1, federal authorities have charged a Mauritian national with child pornography offences.
On that date, the RCMP's Federal Policing Northwest Region’s Federal Arctic Unit boarded a cruise ship in Frobisher Bay to assist Canada Border Services (CBSA) Agency and Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) officers with routine customs examinations. While conducting these examinations, a Mauritian citizen was searched by CBSA officers and was subsequently arrested after he was found to be in possession of child pornography.
Akshay Somaroo, 31, has been arrested and charged with possession of child pornography and importation of child pornography.
Somaroo is scheduled to appear in the Nunavut Court of Justice on Sep. 11, 2024.
“This investigation exemplifies the importance of strong working relationships between the RCMP Federal Policing Northwest Region and our federal partners. Thanks to the combined dedication of each agency to protecting the Canadian Arctic, we were able to hold this individual accountable for these serious crimes," stated Supt. Chan Daktari Dara, acting deputy regional commander of the RCMP's Federal Policing Northwest Region.
Jag Johnston, regional director general of CBSA's Northern Ontario Region, added, “Border services officers protect Canadians by preventing the entry of inadmissible persons and dangerous material. By collaborating with partners such as the RCMP and DFO, the Canada Border Services Agency will continue to secure the border, including in Canada’s Arctic.”
Mauritius is an island nation in the Indian Ocean.
