TORONTO: Local officers in the Canada Border Services Agency’s Enforcement and Intelligence Operations Division arrested three Greater Toronto Area residents for immigration fraud. The charges were laid following an eleven month investigation into the activities of two self-proclaimed employment agents, ending with the execution of a search warrant at a Mississauga residence.
As a result of the investigation, the accused were charged with a number of offences under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA). Eliza Lazaro and Cecilia Bautista, also known as Cecilia Agtarap, allegedly acted as unauthorized immigration consultants, and provided false information to clients and government officials in order to obtain Canadian visas. It is also alleged that Lazaro’s husband, Bernabe Lazaro, assisted by providing false information in order to obtain visas.
The investigation revealed that Ms. Lazaro has been operating as an unlicensed immigration consultant since 2009. According to witness statements, she tells prospective clients that for a fee, Ms. Lazaro will find them employment in Canada and take care of the Labour Market Opinion (LMO) paperwork which is necessary for them to obtain a Canadian visa and work permit.
A total of 37 separate charges were laid in the case, including counts of misrepresentation and human trafficking. All three of the accused appeared in Brampton Court on July 8.
Under the IRPA it is an offence for individuals to counsel, aid or abets others to commit misrepresentation for the purposes of immigration fraud.
CBSA’s Criminal Investigators probe potential violations of immigration, customs and other border-related legislation.
If you have information about suspicious cross-border activity, please contact the CBSA Border Watch Toll free Line at 1-888-502-9060.
“This enforcement action is the product of diligent investigative work conducted by our officers at Enforcement and Intelligence Operations Division. Their work is integral to maintaining the integrity of Canada’s immigration system, and continues to send the message that anyone who attempts to compromise this system will be prosecuted”.
Goran Vragovic, CBSA Regional Director General, Greater Toronto Area Region
