Immigration consultants Rupinder 'Ron' Batth and Navdeep Batth face 69 charges between them. The charges were laid after a lengthy investigation by Canada Border Services Agency investigation and the charges are filed under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. The pair's first court appearance is scheduled for Oct. 13 at Surrey Provincial Court.

By DESIBUZZCanada Staff With News Files

SURREY – An Indo-Canadian husband-wife team of immigrations consultants have been charged with 69 counts under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, following an investigation by the Canada Border Services Agency into alleged fraud.

Rupinder "Ron" Batth and Navdeep Batth, both 51, who ran Can-Asia Immigration, were charged in early September. All but 15 of the counts have been filed against Rupinder Batth.

Can-Asia offices were raided by Canadian Border Services Agency a few years ago. The raid was caught on camera by people at their old offices in Payal Business Centre. There had been much speculation that the Batths were going to be hit with many charges, exactly what happened now.

Batths’ alleged offences took place between October 2014 and November 2018 and revolve around work the two Langley, B.C., residents carried out at the Can-Asia Immigration Consulting company where they were directors.

The Can-Asia office at the Payal Business Centre in Surrey was the site of a CBSA raid in 2017. The office is now occupied by a different immigration consulting company, and while Can-Asia's website remains online, there's no B.C. location listed, reported CBC News.

The charges against Batths  include:

18 counts of counselling or attempting to counsel misrepresentation or helping people misrepresent facts related to their immigration.

50 counts of knowingly misrepresenting or withholding facts that can induce error in administration.

1 count of communicating false information with regard to someone's immigration.

Batth and his wife's first court appearance is scheduled for Oct. 13 at Surrey Provincial Court.

Batth in a local newspaper profile years ago described himself as born and raised in both Chandigarh and his ancestral village of Thangrali, he moved to Canada in 1991. He established the Can-Asia Immigration Consultancy Services Inc. in 1997.

“Growing up in India, he felt that there were less opportunities available for people to maintain a satisfactory standard of living and thus wanted to help immigrants have access to the better chances available in Canada. Launching his company has earned him respect from the Thangrali community in India. Can-Asia Immigration Consultancy today has offices in London, Sydney, and in India.”

Batth described himself as an avid hockey fan who likes to take his children out to watch Canucks games.

“The support and love of my wife and family has helped my business grow. I never forget where I come from and my village is always in my heart,” he said