Butt out: Saskatchewan Highway Patrol seizes 6.6M unstamped cigarettes

Where there’s smokes …

According to a media release issued Thursday, an officer from the Saskatchewan Highway Patrol from the Provincial Protective Services (PPS) Branch pulled over a semi on the Trans-Canada Highway east of Indian Head on March 1.

The release didn’t say why the truck was stopped.

During the traffic stop, the officer searched the semi-trailer and found 22 pallets of unstamped cigarettes. The release from the Ministry of Corrections, Policing and Public Safety said the 6.6 million cigarettes that were seized are worth an estimated $3.3 million on the illicit market.

“Proactive enforcement activities are vital to keeping our roadways and communities safe across the province,” Corrections, Policing and Public Safety Minister Paul Merriman said in the release.

“Thanks to an observant Saskatchewan Highway Patrol officer, criminal activity in our province has been curbed once again.”

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The driver and passenger, both of whom are from Ontario, were taken into custody and the cigarettes and semi-trailer were seized. The Indian Head RCMP has taken over the investigation, in conjunction with the highway patrol and the Ministry of Finance.

“The PPS Saskatchewan Highway Patrol is aware that commercial vehicle drivers sometimes use transportation routes for illegitimate purposes,” acting SHP Insp. Craig Gelsinger said in the release.

“This is yet another example of how our dedicated and well-trained officers show their commitment to intercepting these illicit goods.”

The RCMP has charged the driver and passenger with several counts each under the Criminal Code (Excise Act) and The Tobacco Tax Act.

The driver was released and is to appear in Indian Head Provincial Court in June. The passenger also was found to have breached a conditional sentence order in connection with a customs-related offence and was remanded to Regina Provincial Court.

Some of the cigarettes seized by the Saskatchewan Highway Patrol. (RCMP/Submitted)