4 people, including 2 from Manitoba, face charges of trafficking contraband cigarettes
Ontario Provincial Police found 27 cases of illegal cigarettes during traffic stops near Kenora. (RCMP)
Ontario Provincial Police stopped a vehicle on Highway 17A, the bypass around Kenora, on Friday for a traffic violation.
Instead of getting a simple ticket, however, the two people in the vehicle — a 55-year-old man and 48-year-old woman from St. Catharines, Ont. — face charges for trafficking contraband tobacco after police discovered seven cases of unmarked cigarettes valued at $19,000.
Then on Sunday evening, OPP made a similar bust during another traffic stop on the same Highway 17A.
A search of the vehicle uncovered 20 unmarked cases of cigarettes worth $60,000 as well as a large sum of American currency.
A 62-year-old man from Shilo, Man., and 42-year-old woman from Brandon, Man., are charged with trafficking in contraband tobacco and possession of property obtained by crime.
Source: CBC News