(Quit smoking image via Shutterstock)
WINNIPEG — Two men are facing charges after the province seized 300,000 contraband cigarettes on June 8.
The seizure happened just outside of Winnipeg when a local transport company brought the cigarettes into Manitoba, the province says.
A Winnipeg man, aged 36, and an East St. Paul man, aged 54, were arrested and will be charged.
Had the cigarettes been sold, the Manitoba government stood to lose $90,000 in tax revenue.
The two men will face charges under the Tobacco Tax Act and the Tax Administration and Miscellaneous Taxes Act. First-time offenders face fines between $1,000 and $10,000 and/or up to six months imprisonment if convicted. In addition, they may face a triple tax penalty of $270,000.
