Mounties seize 27 tonnes of illegal cigarettes in B.C. busts valued at $24M
Federal investigators have seized 27 tonnes of contraband cigarettes in British Columbia, the culmination of a yearlong enforcement program targeting organized crime, the Mounties announced Friday.
The cigarettes were seized in two separate busts, netting 133,000 cartons with a total estimated retail value of $24 million, according to police.
The most recent seizure was on Feb. 28, when investigators raided four properties in Maple Ridge and Mission and seized 67,500 cartons, representing the largest one-time seizure of contraband cigarettes in the province.
Two people were arrested and police also seized 70 pounds of silver and $100,000 cash, assistant commissioner David Teboul of the RCMP's federal policing program announced in a news conference Friday alongside B.C. Public Safety Minister and Solicitor General Mike Farnworth.
The RCMP's federal serious and organized crime unit opened the investigation into contraband tobacco sales in the fall of 2023, leading to the discovery of multiple suspected storage and distribution facilities, police said.
The investigation followed seizures last year of more than 66,000 cartons of illegal cigarettes, valued at an estimated $12 million. Police say that began in Nanaimo but quickly expanded to include multiple sites in Metro Vancouver, Vancouver Island and Edmonton.
"The organized crime network involved in this contraband tobacco trafficking operation was also suspected of being linked to cross-border cocaine smuggling and money laundering activities," federal RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Arash Seyed said in a news release.
Most organized crime groups that deal in contraband tobacco also traffic narcotics, using the "same drug pipelines for their movement," Teboul added.
The seizures follow an announcement last month that B.C.'s anti-gang task force, the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit, had arrested four people and seized 35 pallets of contraband cigarettes during a separate investigation.
The CFSEU case involved searches of properties in Surrey, Victoria, Abbotsford and Langley, where contraband liquor, guns, drugs, eight vehicles and a speedboat were also seized.
The agency estimated the retail value of the earlier cigarette seizure at approximately $11 million.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Ontario to ban use of cellphones in school classrooms starting in September
Ontario is introducing a suite of measures that will crack down on cellphone use and vaping in schools.
Here's where Canadians are living abroad: report
A recent report sheds light on Canadians living abroad--estimated at around four million people in 2016—and the public policies that impact them.
Kitchener family says their 10-year-old needs life-saving drug that cost $600,000
Raneem, 10, lives with a neurological condition and liver disease and needs Cholbam, a medication, for a longer and healthier life.
Invasive and toxic hammerhead worms make themselves at home in Ontario
Ontario is now home to an invasive and toxic worm species that can grow up to three feet long and can be dangerous to small animals and pets.
Laurentian University to spend millions on recommendations in second budget post insolvency, but nothing new to reopen pool
Laurentian University's board of governors approved a budget of just over $201.7 million for the 2024-2025 fiscal year.
Murder charge laid after man falls to death from Toronto apartment balcony
One person has been charged with second-degree murder in connection with the death of a man who fell from a balcony following an altercation inside a Toronto apartment building.
Dozens in Italy give a fascist salute on the anniversary of Mussolini's execution
Dozens of people raised their arms in the fascist salute and shouted a fascist chant during ceremonies Sunday to honor Italian dictator Benito Mussolini on the 79th anniversary of his execution.
'Do not consume': Gift Chocolate recalled due to undeclared milk, soy
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has issued a recall for a specific chocolate brand sold in Ontario and Quebec.
Zendaya tennis movie ‘Challengers’ scores at weekend box office
Zendaya and castmates Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor have been on a globetrotting press tour to get the word out about Italian director Luca Guadagnino's original film, which opened in 3,477 locations in the U.S. and Canada.