Not blowing smoke: Almost a million illegal cigarettes seized

That’s a lot of darts.

Officers with the Saskatoon Police Service’s Vice Unit seized almost a million cigarettes during two searches this week.

Last weekend, officers in Saskatoon seized 58,000 cigarettes during a traffic stop, and the investigation has led to two more big seizures.

On Tuesday, police caught up with a 59-year-old man suspected of trafficking in illegal tobacco during a traffic stop on Kenderdine Road.

After his arrest, officers executed a search warrant at an address on Epp Place, where they seized more than 500,000 illegal cigarettes, a 2010 Lexus RX350, a 2010 Jeep Patriot, and more than $24,000 in cash.

The investigation didn’t end there, however, as officers executed another search warrant on Fairbrother Court the following day. In that case, they found about 450,000 illegal cigarettes.

All told, police seized about 950,000 smokes in the two raids. If the 58,000 cigarettes seized last weekend are included, that pushes the total over a million.

The 59-year-old Saskatoon man is now charged of trafficking in tobacco and possession of the proceeds of crime over $5,000, police said. Although he was initially fined more than $34,000, police said that fine has been withdrawn and an amount will be determined by the courts.

The investigation is ongoing, police said, and the city is breathing a little easier as a result.