Saskatoon RCMP say a routine early-morning check-stop led to the seizure of more than nine million illegal cigarettes and charges against a 24-year-old Ontario man.
Read more: Cold Lake RCMP seek witnesses after shooting
Around 3 a.m. on Nov. 14, Saskatoon RCMP Combined Traffic Services Saskatchewan (CTSS) and Saskatchewan Highway Patrol (SHP) were running a check-stop at the Langham weigh scale on Highway 16 near Saskatoon. Police say a commercial vehicle drove through the checkpoint without stopping.
An SHP officer followed the vehicle, stopped it a few kilometres west of the site and escorted it back. During an inspection, officers searched the trailer and found 24 pallets of unstamped tobacco. RCMP traffic services assisted in arresting the driver at the scene and taking him to the Saskatoon RCMP detachment.
CTSS officers seized the vehicle, had it towed, and escorted it to the Seized Property Management Directorate in Regina for secure storage and processing. The Yorkton RCMP Saskatchewan Trafficking and Response Team (STRT) later searched the load and confirmed the discovery of 9.3 million illegal cigarettes.
“Based on previous similar investigations in Saskatchewan, and current tax rates under provincial and federal legislation, the estimated total tax being evaded is over $4.4 million,” said Cpl. Aaron Gullacher with Yorkton STRT.
As a result, Akashdeep Akashdeep, 24, of Brampton, Ont., is charged with possession of unstamped tobacco for the purpose of sale under the Criminal Code, possession of unstamped tobacco under the Tobacco Tax Act, and possession of unstamped tobacco under the Excise Act. He appeared in Saskatoon provincial court on Nov. 17.
Corrections, Policing and Public Safety Minister Tim McLeod, K.C., said the case underscores the importance of interagency cooperation.
“Collaborative enforcement efforts, like this check-stop, play an essential role in promoting road safety and protecting communities across the province,” he said.
Supt. Grant St. Germaine, officer in charge of Saskatchewan RCMP Traffic Services, said 23 officers from four agencies took part in the operation.
“Partnerships like these allow us to intercept large quantities of illegal goods and send a strong message to traffickers of illicit goods — ‘stay off our roads’.”
The investigation is ongoing.
Read more: Fleeing robbery suspects leads to RCMP activity in Lloydminster
