Mounties seize cache of contraband cigarettes on Vancouver Island

Officers stopped the truck for an impaired driving investigation, but discovered 46 cases each containing 50 cartons of unstamped and untaxed cigarettes, police said. (BCHP)

Mounties seized 2,300 cartons of contraband cigarettes valued at more than $400,000 during a traffic stop on Vancouver Island last month.

The B.C. Highway Patrol division says officers suspected the driver of a pickup truck pulling an enclosed cargo trailer was impaired when they initiated the stop near Duncan.

A statement from the highway patrol division says the truck was travelling "well under the posted speed limit" on the Trans-Canada Highway on June 15, and the driver was allegedly "having difficulty maintaining lane position."

When officers stopped the truck for an impaired driving investigation, they discovered 46 cases each containing 50 cartons of unstamped and untaxed cigarettes, police said.

The driver was arrested on suspicion of trafficking contraband tobacco, though charges have not yet been laid, according to investigators.

Sgt. Brad Robinson of the B.C. Highway Patrol says contraband tobacco is a growing concern in the province.

In March, investigators announced the seizure of 27 tonnes of untaxed cigarettes valued at $24 million following a year-long investigation targeting organized crime. The cigarettes were seized in two separate busts in the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island.

"This seizure reflects over $250,000 in lost tax revenue and a retail value of over $400,000" Robinson said of the recent bust Thursday.

"Tax revenue collected from tobacco products supports our health-care system and the sale of unstamped tobacco is often tied to organized crime."

Police say the investigation into the seizure is ongoing with assistance from federal and provincial agencies.