Canadian authorities are treating the discovery on Thursday of four men hiding in a shipping container at the Port of Montreal as a case of illegal entry, officials have told Reuters.
The men were hiding in a container found on the OOCL Montreal vessel, which arrived at the port after making stops in Hamburg and Antwerp, according to Reuters data and an industry source who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The men, in their 30s, suffered dehydration but no severe injuries.
Stephane Smith, a spokesman for Urgences Sante emergency services, said that the men were taken to hospital after being found.
Local media and a source familiar with the matter reported that the men were from the former Soviet republic of Georgia.
The Toronto branch of Hong Kong-based Container shipping company Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL) has started its own internal investigation and is cooperating with the Canada Border Services Agency.