Four people are facing charges after New Brunswick peace officers seized more than 4.3 million illegal cigarettes in the span of a month.
The investigations, led by Justice and Public Safety officials with help from policing partners, also led to the seizure of cannabis products, a firearm, vehicles and other evidence, the government said Wednesday.
It began on May 15 when peace officers and RCMP conducted a safety checkpoint on the Trans-Canada Highway in the Saint-Jacques district of Edmundston.
Officers stopped a truck towing a cargo trailer and arrested a 32-year-old man from Ontario. The government said they found 3,510,000 unstamped cigarettes, which they seized. A 2022 GMC Sierra 2500 truck and an enclosed cargo trailer were also seized.
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On June 13, peace officers and the Miramichi Police Force, Quebec provincial police and the Ontario Ministry of Finance arrested a 36-year-old man and a 42-year-old man from the Miramichi area.
Officers intercepted a truck towing a cargo trailer and arrested the driver and passenger. A search of the vehicle and trailer led to the seizure of 739,000 unstamped cigarettes, 1.5 kilograms of dried cannabis, 65 packages of THC edibles and several cannabis pre-rolls, other drugs and vape cartridges. A 2024 Ford F-150 truck was also seized.
Two days later, a 37-year-old man from the Fredericton region was arrested after officers pulled over a truck. After searching the vehicle, they found 150,013 unstamped cigarettes and a Remington 12-gauge shotgun, ammunition and other weapons, the province said. A 2024 GMC truck was seized.
Those arrested are facing charges under the Excise Act, the Criminal Code of Canada and the Tobacco Tax Act, the government said.
“It is not only illegal to sell contraband cigarettes, but it is also illegal to purchase contraband tobacco under the Excise Act, which can result in fines and criminal charges,” Assistant Commissioner Matco Sirotic, commanding officer of the RCMP in New Brunswick, said in a news release.
“When you buy illegal cigarettes, you may also be supporting organized criminal networks who are trying to establish themselves in your community. Working together with our law enforcement partners is important to discouraging this and other illegal activity in our province.”
The government said its peace officers have seized about 8.27 million contraband cigarettes so far this year, valued at about $3.72 million in combined federal and provincial tax.
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