Saskatchewan Highway Patrol Seizes 9.1 Million Illegal Cigarettes After Searching Vehicle During Stop
Saskatchewan Highway Patrol officers found a little something extra recently when they conducted a traffic stop: 9.1 million illegal cigarettes. The massive bust occurred at 12:40 a.m. on Highway 16 in the Rural Municipality of Battle River.
Saskatchewan Highway Patrol officers with the Provincial Protective Services Branch found 23 pallets of unstamped tobacco after searching a tractor-trailer. Officers seized the cigarettes and arrested the lone occupant of the semi-truck, according to Saskatchewan RCMP. Prosecutors charged him with numerous tobacco-related offenses.
The court had previously released the driver from Brampton, Ontario, for previous tobacco-related charges. He was supposed to be prohibited from traveling outside of Ontario.
Police seized over 15 million illegal cigarettes in two other recent busts in Saskatchewan
In November, Saskatchewan Highway Patrol officers discovered a truck packed with 9.3 million illegal cigarettes traveling near Langham. Police caught that semi-truck driver after he went through a Highway 16 check stop at around 3 a.m. on Nov. 14.
After officers caught up to the tractor-trailer, they inspected it and found 24 pallets of unstamped tobacco. According to Yorkton RCMP Corporal Aaron Gullacher, the illegal cigarettes would have cost about $4.4 million in tax revenue.
Police arrested a 24-year-old man from Brampton. The authorities charged him with possession of unstamped tobacco under the Criminal Code, the Tobacco Tax Act, and the Excise Act.
Saskatchewan RCMP arrested two other Brampton residents in July 2025 on similar charges. In that bust, officers seized 4.9 million unstamped cigarettes during a highway stop and search of their tractor-trailer.
