One of three men charged with human smuggling after 44 migrants were found crammed inside a cube van in southern Quebec has been granted bail.
Firat Yuksek must respect a long list of conditions that include not having a passport and not being within 25 kilometres of the Canada-U.S. border.
Quebec court Judge Alexandre Tardif ruled that Yuksek’s co-accused, Ogulcan Mersin and Dogan Alakus, will remain detained until the end of their trial.
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There is a publication ban in place on the evidence presented over two days during the bail hearing in Sherbrooke, Que.
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.
They face charges under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and the Customs Act for allegedly smuggling 44 migrants, who police say were mostly Haitian and included young children and a pregnant woman.
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Their case returns to court Nov. 3.
A fourth suspect, Tolga Yilmaz, was arrested at Montreal Trudeau International Airport on Aug. 8 after allegedly trying to flee, and is also facing charges in connection with the case.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 10, 2025.
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