Three men charged with human smuggling after 44 migrants were found crammed inside a cube van in southern Quebec will find out next week if they'll be granted bail.Â
Lawyers for Ogulcan Mersin, Dogan Alakus and Firat Yuksek made arguments in front of a Quebec court judge in Sherbrooke, Que., during a two-day bail hearing that ended Friday.
The evidence presented at the hearing is covered under a publication ban, and the judge will make a decision on Sept. 10.
The men were arrested at about 2:20 a.m. on Aug. 3 near Stanstead, Que., after police intercepted a cube truck near the U.S. border.
Crown prosecutors confirmed Thursday that the men are facing a new charge under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act — organizing entry into Canada of a group of 10 people or more.
They are now facing a total of three charges for allegedly smuggling the 44 migrants, who police say were mostly Haitian and included young children and a pregnant woman.Â
RCMP have described the conditions in the van as "horrific," and said the migrants were dehydrated although not badly hurt.
A fourth suspect, Tolga Yilmaz, was arrested at Montreal Trudeau International Airport on Aug. 8 after allegedly trying to flee. Yilmaz was charged with two offences under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and the Customs Act.
This report by °µÍø½ûÇø was first published Sept. 5, 2025.
