Visa Scam: Canada Arraigns Foreigners, Full List Emerges

• Canada's Border Services Agency arraigned four suspects at a Quebec courthouse on October 22, 2026, over an organised immigration fraud scheme
• The suspects allegedly helped 209 Bangladeshi nationals obtain temporary resident visas using fake documents and false host identities
• A fifth accused, believed to be in Bangladesh, remains at large with an arrest warrant issued against him

Four individuals appeared before the Valleyfield courthouse in Quebec, Canada, on October 22, 2026, facing charges linked to a large-scale immigration fraud operation that exploited hundreds of Bangladeshi nationals seeking temporary entry into the country.

Canada's Border Services Agency (CBSA) identified the accused as Rashel Mirza, Mohammed Aminul Islam, Md Mudassar Alam Bhuiyan, and Kazi Nafeez Alam.

A fifth suspect, Md Rakibul Hassan, is believed to have fled to Bangladesh, and authorities have issued a warrant for his arrest.

How the Fraud Network Operated

The investigation began on July 3, 2024, when CBSA officers, working alongside the Mercier police and fire departments, conducted a compliance check on a private residence in Mercier, Quebec.

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Officers uncovered multiple violations under Canada's Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) and formally launched a criminal investigation in August 2024.

That probe revealed that 243 temporary resident visa (TRV) applications had been submitted on behalf of 209 Bangladeshi nationals.

To make the applications appear legitimate, the suspects allegedly presented Canadian citizens as hosts, a deliberate misrepresentation designed to secure entry for foreign nationals through fraudulent means.

Search Warrants and Charges

On June 3, 2025, investigators executed four search warrants across properties in Quebec and Ontario, seizing documents and computer equipment linked to the five suspects.

Given the scope of the scheme, authorities concentrated their focus on 79 of the most significant applications from the 243 identified.

The four accused now face three charges under the IRPA: conspiracy to organise or facilitate the unlawful entry of persons into Canada under subsection 117(1); knowingly inducing or assisting individuals to misrepresent material facts in immigration applications under section 126; and knowingly aiding persons to violate the IRPA under section 131. All charges remain subject to validation by the court.

Source: YEN.com.gh