Four men who were charged with smuggling Sri Lankan migrants aboard a ship to Canada have been released on bail.
The four were among 76 Sri Lankans on the freighter MV Ocean Lady, which was seized by Canadian authorities off the coast of Vancouver Island in October 2009.
Francis Anthonimuthu, 33, Hamalraj Handasamu, 39, Jeyachandran Kanagarajah, 32, and Vignarajh Thevarajah, 33, were arrested in June in Toronto and charged with human smuggling.
They were initially detained by immigration authorities but later released pending their refugee claims.
On Friday, B.C. Supreme Court Justice Gregory Bowden ordered the men released on bail. All four were released on $5,000 bail and ordered to remain at their homes in the Toronto area.
The bail conditions include that they’re not to possess or apply for any travel documents such as visas and passports and must not possess any weapons.
The four men were ordered to make their next court appearance on Sept. 14 in Vancouver. No trial date has been set.
Human smuggling carries a maximum penalty of life in prison. -The Province