Human trafficking charges laid against a Quebecer after a traffic stop in Manitoba

A Quebec man has been charged by the RCMP with human trafficking after being arrested for irregular driving in Manitoba.

Jean François D'Asti-Brideau, 26, of Laval, was arrested on Winnipeg's Perimeter Highway in January 2021. Police said at the time it appeared a physical altercation took place between the man and his passenger.

It was later determined that the woman had been a victim of human trafficking and had been taken from Quebec to British Columbia, the RCMP said in a news release Thursday.

D'Asti-Brideau was found in Kamloops and arrested Tuesday. He is accused of human trafficking and sexual offenses and has been returned to Winnipeg.

During the first traffic stop in January 2021, D'Asti-Brideau became combative while being taken into custody and resisted officers, the RCMP said in the news release. He also gave them a false name.

When his true identity became known, it was discovered that he had a number of warrants for his arrest from Quebec and Ontario. A search of the vehicle revealed several weapons, including a stun gun.

D'Asti-Brideau was charged with several weapons offenses, identity fraud, obstructing the action of a peace officer and various traffic violations.

He was released in June 2021, but the investigation by Manitoba RCMP and police services in other provinces continued, culminating in the drug trafficking arrest this week.

The woman eventually arrived in British Columbia, but police would not say whether she waited in Winnipeg during the five months D'Asti-Brideau was in jail or whether she was taken by someone other.

“For your questions regarding the victim, we will not share many details in order to protect her,” said RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Julie Courchaine told CBC News.

In its press release, the RCMP praised the work of the first officer who detected that this could be a more serious problem than a simple traffic stop.

“This is the type of crime that is not always easy to detect. In this case, an RCMP officer from our central traffic unit knew what to look for and saw signs that this couple was not who they appeared to be and called us in,” Sgt. Morgan Page of the Manitoba RCMP Major Crime Unit said.

“This was an excellent initiative on the part of this officer, and we were able to liaise with police services in other provinces to move this investigation forward.”