(Cigarettes image via Shutterstock)
A joint effort between officials in Manitoba and Ontario has resulted in the seizure of 1,060,000 contraband cigarettes from a semi-trailer truck.
The semi was travelling westbound when it was pulled over and a search warrant executed. Along with the cigarettes, officers found 42 pounds of illegal cannabis.
The lost Manitoba tax revenue would have been $318,000 had the cigarettes been sold on the black market.
A 34-year-old Calgary resident faces a number of charges, including fines between $1,000 and $10,000 and/or up to six months in prison, as well as a potential triple tax penalty of $954,000.
Anyone with information on contraband tobacco is urged to call the Manitoba Finance Special Investigations Unit at (204) 945-1137, email smuggling_manitoba@rcmp-grc.gc.ca or call Manitoba Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
