Winnipeg Free Press - ONLINE EDITION
RCMP find $400,000 worth of cigarettes in truck
A routine traffic stop near the Manitoba-Ontario border yesterday led RCMP to discover 1.75 million contraband cigarettes worth $395,000.
A 45-year-old Quebec man was arrested, and faces charges under the Manitoba Tobacco Tax Act.
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The seizure was part of a traffic safety check on a westbound rental truck on the Trans Canada Highway during National Road Safety Week. RCMP found 150 cases of illegal, unmarked cigarettes in plastic bags and 25 cases of "discount" brand cigarettes when the rental truck was stopped in the West Hawk Lake area.
None of the cigarettes had proper tax stamps. The man could face fines up to $5,000, up to three months in jail, or a tax penalty of more than $970,000.
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PREVIOUS
8 Comments
Posted by: tired
May 16, 2009 at 10:48 AM
STOP SELLING ILLEGAL SMOKES. I AM GLAD THAT THEY ARE GETTING THEM OFF OF OUR STREETS. WHAT ABOUT ALL THE POLLUTION THEY LET OUT AND CAUSE HEALTH PROBLEMS FOR THE NON SMOKERS; SUCH AS ASTHMA.
Posted by: Major Westchester
May 16, 2009 at 12:55 AM
That's right "getreal"...lets look for a loophole and try to get the charges dropped on this poor smuggler. Taxes from legitimate cigarette sales go towards funding Public Healthcare, Employment Insurance, Federal Job Training Initiatives, Public Education...but who needs that right???
Posted by: Arnie M.
May 16, 2009 at 12:15 AM
Full blame can be assigned to The Federal and provincial governments. Taxes alone add $7 to a package of cigarettes. Such a high rate will only promote black market sales.
I would like to know why the Canadian cigarette smoker is singled out with such extreme bias. Somebody should bring a legal challenge under the charter to treat all unhealthy lifestyles equally.
By the way I am not a smoker , I am fearful of the power of a handful of burocrats weilding so much power just because they hate smoking. Think about it.
Posted by: getreal
May 15, 2009 at 11:40 PM
A routine traffic stop...smell a rat? A good laywer could blow the crowns case wide open with illegal search and siezure.
Posted by: Beamer
May 15, 2009 at 9:43 PM
I'm glad Harper is promoting free trade. Maybe he could spend a few minutes explaining how we have a border in the middle of our country that allows this "tax problem" which prohibits free trade here.
Posted by: Stormed_Norm
May 15, 2009 at 7:32 PM
So from what I understand they said on the t.v., these smokes are going to be incinerated correct? So shouldn't the gov't do something a bit smarter and sell these to the stores to sell and collect taxes on? It seems kinda sensless to get rid of a product that is still good to use. I'm not a smoker so I wouldn't be buying them, but it would at least bring in some revenue.They could maybe even give some of the profits to charity or use it for themselves to get some new roads worked on.
Posted by: Big Daddy
May 15, 2009 at 4:25 PM
Oh well too bad for everyone buying and selling illegal smokes.
Posted by: john shantz
May 15, 2009 at 3:40 PM
Unmarked cigarettes are available to any consumer at the Six Nations Indian Reserve near Hagersville, Ontario for $300 a case. This would make the so-called contraband seized worth about $50,000.
Maybe the Free Press should stop printing RCMP press releases without first checking the facts.