Police in Saskatchewan seize nearly 9 million illegal cigarettes
By Medicine Hat News on August 13, 2024.
@MedicineHatNews Trucking inspectors at Swift Current say they found 30 pallets of contraband cigarettes in a semi-trailer on July 17, according to a release by the Saskatchewan RCMP this month. The driver is set to appear in Swift Current Provincial Court on Tuesday, charged with three separate counts related to the possession and sale of unstamped tobacco. Saskatchewan Highway Patrol officials state it is the largest seizure of illegal cigarettes in the organization’s history, comprising about 8.75 million cigarettes that were bound from Ontario for B.C. The RCMP state that inspectors determined the vehicle’s bill of lading was false, began a further inspection of the load and then informed the RCMP’s trafficking response team. Driver Vishavpreet Singh, 25 from Calgary, is set to make a first appearance in court on Aug. 13. “STRT’s mandate is to stop inter-provincial trafficking – both human trafficking and that of controlled substances and firearms,” said Supt. Glenn Church, of the RCMP’s Saskatchewan Enforcement Response Team. “We’re grateful for our partnership with the Saskatchewan Highway Patrol, which resulted in millions of illegal cigarettes from entering Canadian communities.” 8-7
