A total of 8.75 million unstamped cigarettes have been seized in the largest seizure of illegal tobacco in Saskatchewan Highway Patrol history, just outside of Swift Current.
The find came after an officer determined the semi's bill of lading was false on July 17th. The subsequent investigation uncovered the massive haul of cigarettes, with close to 30 pallets of the unregistered tobacco products recovered by authorities.
Saskatchewan RCMP was contacted and sent over the Saskatchewan Trafficking Response Team to take charge of the smokes and began investigating with assistance from the Saskatchewan Rural RCMP.
Saskatchewan RCMP Saskatchewan Enforcement Response Team Superintendent, Glenn Church, praised the Saskatchewan Highway Patrol for their role in alerting them to this major infraction.
"STRT's mandate is to stop inter-provincial trafficking – both human trafficking and that of controlled substances and firearms," said Supt. Glenn Church from Saskatchewan 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."
The total count for the cigarettes was taken, and the truck's origin was determined to be Ontario, with a destination in B.C.
Calgary's Vishavpreet Singh is facing three charges from the massive bust. Charges include; one count to sell, offer for sale, transport, deliver, distribute, or have in possession for the purpose of sale a tobacco product, or a raw lead tobacco that is unstamped, one count of sell, offer for sale or have in his possession a tobacco product unstamped, and one count of possessing, storing, transporting or selling tobacco that is not marked in a prescribed manner
The 25-year-old is set to appear in Swift Current Provincial Court on August 14.