Winnipeg police have seized approximately three million contraband cigarettes and firearms in an investigation targeting illegal tobacco and firearms trafficking from Ontario to Manitoba.
The operation, conducted in December 2024, culminated on Monday when officers apprehended two suspects at a hotel on Niakwa Road East. Three additional suspects were later arrested after search warrants were executed on a moving truck, a motorhome, and an SUV in the area.
The vehicles, which had travelled from Ontario, contained contraband tobacco valued at an estimated $1.2 million, along with weapons and related equipment, including:
- Two firearms: a 12-gauge shotgun and a .308 rifle
- Ammunition and two pellet guns
- Body armour
- Two-way radios
- Multiple cell phones
Three individuals from Ontario were charged with trafficking contraband tobacco, possessing tobacco under the Tobacco Tax Act, and firearm-related offences.
Additionally, a 20-year-old man from Guelph and a 24-year-old from Brampton were charged with trafficking contraband tobacco and possession.
All five individuals have been released on undertakings as the investigation continues.
