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
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
DEVELOPING Hamas accepts Gaza ceasefire proposal from Egypt and Qatar
Hamas said it has accepted a ceasefire deal proposed by Egypt and Qatar, which seeks to halt the seven-month war with Israel in Gaza, prompting Israel to say it would send a delegation to negotiate – though it warned the proposal remained far from the 'necessary requirements.'
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
2024 Met Gala: Everything to know about fashion's annual soiree
Fashion's biggest night out — hosted at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York each year on the first Monday of May — is both a forever-evolving spectacle and a carefully crafted event.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Concern over speeding in Fredericton neighbourhood grows after 2 teens, young adult killed in crash
Three people – including two teens – are dead, and two others are injured after a crash that has left a greater Fredericton community shaken.