Fourth alleged human smuggler in Quebec U-Haul case arrested
RCMP said it had arrested Tolga Yilmaz, 35, while he was attempting to leave Canada from Montreal airport
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A fourth person is under arrest and facing charges in connection with an alleged human smuggling scheme that police say saw 44 migrants transported across the Quebec-U.S. border earlier this month.
The RCMP said Tuesday that it had arrested 35-year-old Tolga Yilmaz Aug. 8 while he was attempting to leave Canada from the Montreal airport.
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Yilmaz remains in detention alongside Ogulcan Mersin, Dogan Alakus and Firat Yuksek, all of whom await charges in connection with the case.
According to the RCMP, police found 44 migrants packed into the back of a U-Haul truck the night of Aug. 2 close to the Canada-U.S. border near Stanstead. The migrants were asylum seekers, largely of Haitian origin. The Canada Border Services Agency said last week that it had deported an unspecified number of the migrants back to the U.S., where they were likely transferred into Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention.
Most asylum claimants seeking refuge in Canada are unable to do so if they cross the border from the United States. An agreement between the two countries allows Canada to send asylum claimants back across the border without granting them a hearing, unless they’re unaccompanied minors or have family in Canada. As a result, many attempt to cross into Canada without being detected by police, sometimes endangering their lives and relying on smugglers in the process.
The RCMP also said Tuesday that it had arrested two people — 25-year-old Can Volkan and 27-year-old Kurey Recep — for involvement in another alleged human smuggling scheme near Valleyfield involving 11 migrants.
The Gazette has reached out to the RCMP for more details.
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