An Ontario man is facing several charges after Saskatchewan Highway Patrol officers seized 400,000 unstamped cigarettes during a recent traffic stop.
Officers conducted the stop on Highway 11 near Lumsden on Jan. 14 where they observed pallets of unstamped tobacco in the semi’s trailer, according to a release from Saskatchewan RCMP.
Officers seized 24 pallets, containing 400,000 of unstamped cigarettes, from the trailer.
Lumsden RCMP arrested the driver and passenger of the semi. The passenger was later released without charges.
“The seizure is a significant one,” Supt. Murray Chamberlin, Deputy Criminal Operations Officer for the Saskatchewan RCMP said in the release. “Through our partnership with other public safety agencies, we have been able to prevent 400,000 cigarettes – and potentially, millions of dollars – from circulating in the illegal market.”
The driver, a 24-year-old man from Brampton, Ont., is charged with one count of selling tobacco, one count of possession of unstamped tobacco, one count of unlawfully importing, acquiring, or taking delivery of tobacco, and one count of possession of unmarked tobacco.
RCMP said he is scheduled to appear in Regina Provincial Court on April 15.
Lumsden, Sask. is located about 30 kilometres northwest of Regina.
