2 Quebec men plead guilty after hiring dozens of unauthorized foreign workers

The Canada Border Services Agency said it seized $90,000 after executing search warrants in Quebec City in relation to two people who pleaded guilty to hiring 71 foreign workers not authorized to work in Canada. (Source: CBSA)

Two men have pleaded guilty in Quebec City to hiring 71 foreign workers who did not have work permits in Canada, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) announced Tuesday.

Madani El-Behi and Musavye Adelald each received a 12-month suspended sentence, as well as 120 and 180 hours of community service, respectively.

The pair pleaded guilty on Oct. 13 at the Quebec City courthouse following a CBSA investigation that started in July 2021.

The agency said the foreign workers were hired between September 2021 and July 2022 to work primarily in the agri-food industry.

Officers conducted nine search warrants in several locations, including the placement agency El-Behi and Adelald owned and their vehicle, and found $90,000, which was seized as proceeds of crime.

"The charges announced today by the Canada Border Services Agency reflect our commitment to maintaining the country's immigration system. We investigate people who illegally hire foreign workers and hold them responsible," said Annie Beauséjour, the CBSA's regional director general for the Quebec region, in a news release.