Three men accused of human smuggling, involving 44 migrants discovered in a packed cube van in southern Quebec, are awaiting a bail decision next week following a two-day hearing in a Quebec court. Ogulcan Mersin, Dogan Alakus, and Firat Yuksek had their lawyers present arguments before a judge in Sherbrooke, Quebec, as details from the hearing are currently under a publication ban. The judge is set to announce the decision on Sept. 10.
The incident unfolded on Aug. 3 near Stanstead, Quebec, when the trio was apprehended by authorities after a cube truck was intercepted near the U.S. border. Crown prosecutors revealed that the men are now facing a new charge under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act for orchestrating the entry of a group of more than 10 individuals into Canada. This adds to the three charges related to the alleged smuggling of the 44 migrants, predominantly Haitian, including young children and a pregnant woman.
Authorities have characterized the conditions inside the van as “horrific,” with the migrants found dehydrated but fortunately not severely injured. In a related development, a fourth suspect, Tolga Yilmaz, was apprehended at Montreal Trudeau International Airport on Aug. 8 while attempting to flee. Yilmaz faces charges under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and the Customs Act.
