(Cigarettes image via Shutterstock)
Manitoba Finance investigators and Falcon Lake RCMP have seized 112,600 contraband cigarettes and 200 grams of fine-cut tobacco.
The seizure occurred over a 10-day period in November when police conducted checks on six vehicles entering Manitoba from Ontario.
In total, 473 cartons of cigarettes not marked for tax purposes were seized.
Six men are facing numerous charges, with the penalty being fines ranging from $1,000 to $10,000 and/or up to six months in jail.
Each of the accused is liable to a triple tax penalty based on the amount of tobacco seized, for a combined total of $82,302. Manitoba stood to lose $27,434 in tax revenue had these cigarettes reached the black market.
In a second investigation, taxation investigators seized 14,200 cigarettes (71 cartons) in Winnipeg. A seventh person faces similar charges under the provincial statutes and a triple tax penalty of $12,354. Had the cigarettes reached the black market, the Manitoba government stood to lose $4,118 in tax revenue.
A separate seizure of 3,800 cigarettes (19 cartons) remains under investigation.
