The disappearance of Juanita Migwans, a 30-year-old First Nations woman last seen on October 2 in M’Chigeeng First Nation, has her family fearing the worst. Her loved ones believe she may have been abducted by drug dealers from the Greater Toronto Area who have been infiltrating First Nations such as M’Chigeeng.
Ms. Migwans, who was reported missing on October 7, had struggled with addiction in recent years.
“There’s been no activity on her bank account,” said her aunt, Mary Ashcroft, who took to social media to urge anyone with information to come forward. “Our fear is they may have taken her against her will. She could be anywhere.” Her father, Morris Ashcroft, voiced his concern as well, highlighting the alarming presence of big-city drug traffickers on First Nations reserves. “Urge your band councils to ban these people from reserves,” he said. “It needs to be dealt with severely.”
The case has drawn attention to the broader issues facing Northern Ontario communities, where both drug and human trafficking have become pressing concerns. Highway 17, part of the TransCanada Highway, which runs through Northern Ontario, has long been a known corridor for human trafficking. Sault Ste. Marie, located along this route, is a particularly notorious hotspot where victims are transported between major cities and rural areas. The isolated location and limited law enforcement resources in Northern Indigenous communities make them prime targets for criminal networks exploiting the drug trade, trafficking vulnerable individuals and evading detection.
FULL STORY: https://www.manitoulin.com/search-intensifies-for-juanita-migwans-missing-since-oct-2/
