Joint CBSA-RCMP investigations lead to the arrest of three individuals for organizing several illegal entries into Canada

FILE: Canadian Border highway sign (Photo By Lorie Shaull – Own work/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0)

By CBSA

Montréal (Quebec), August 12, 2025 –The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) arrested 34-year-old Tolga Yilmaz at Montreal-Trudeau Airport on August 8, as he was preparing to leave Canada.

Investigators of a joint RCMP/CBSA team based in Valleyfield have determined this individual was involved in the August 3, 2025 illegal entry into Canada, near Stanstead, of 44 people intercepted in a cube truck  having just entered Canada without reporting at a designated port of entry. Mr. Yilmaz is facing the same two charges under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) and the Customs Act as the three other individuals arrested at the event. He appeared in court on August 9 and remains detained pending further proceedings. The investigation is ongoing and further charges may be laid.

Additional investigation files on illegal crossings

The RCMP and CBSA are currently investigating other individuals suspected of being linked to numerous other illegal crossings in Quebec, contrary to IRPA. In this regard, two other individuals were arrested by the RCMP on Sunday, August 10, 2025, in the Valleyfield region while attempting to smuggle 11 foreign nationals. The CBSA initiated legal proceedings and they were charged under the IRPA and the Customs Act. Can Volkan, 25, and Kurey Recep, 27 appeared by videoconference at the Valleyfield courthouse to face charges.

Investigations are under way to establish links between these individuals and other recent human smuggling events.

Ensuring the integrity of the border

The extensive collaboration between the RCMP and the CBSA demonstrates the important role of both organizations in protecting the Canada-U.S. border. Human smuggling is a global criminal activity. Human smugglers facilitate the entry of people into Canada or the United States by illegal means, while making a profit. By charging their passengers large sums of money for  transportation and passage, human smugglers have turned illegal migration into a lucrative business.

Crossing the border outside a designated port of entry is dangerous and illegal. Individuals who do not meet one of the exceptions to the Safe Third Country Agreement are returned to the U.S. Organizing or facilitating the illegal entry of a person or persons into Canada is no small matter; it is a serious crime that puts lives at risk, feeds criminal networks and undermines national security.

Canadian law is clear that it is a criminal offence to induce, aid or abet someone to enter the country knowing—or wilfully not knowing—that such entry contravenes the law.

Public appeal

Do you have information on the illicit activities of individuals or groups of individuals? Contact the RCMP at 514-939-8300/1-800-771-5401, the CBSA at 1-888-502-9060 or your local police.