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Four people have been charged in connection with an alleged tobacco-smuggling operation.
According to the RCMP, the group was responsible for illegally moving nearly 116,000 kilograms of tobacco into Canada from the United States and between provinces over a period stretching from October of 2020 to April of 2024.
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The RCMP said the “sophisticated smuggling operation,” which used the railway system, was uncovered during an investigation by Saskatchewan RCMP officers and the Canada Border Services Agency.
“This investigation demonstrates the critical role of strong partnerships and coordinated efforts in combatting the illegal tobacco trade,” RCMP chief superintendent Brad Wirachowsky said in a statement.
“These collaborative efforts are essential to identifying and disrupting the networks involved in the importation of illegal tobacco into Canada.”
The four Ontario residents have been charged with conspiracy to smuggle into Canada, conspiracy to transport tobacco, conspiracy to possess raw leaf tobacco and conspiracy to evade compliance, in contravention of the Criminal Code, Excise Act and Customs Act, the RCMP said. They were also individually charged with various offences, including falsifying or destroying records, possession of property obtained by crime and making false statements or evading duties.
All four are expected to appear in a Toronto courtroom on Thursday.
“The dismantling of this sophisticated smuggling operation speaks to the expertise of CBSA intelligence and border officers, and the importance of our partnerships with the RCMP and other collaborating law enforcement organizations,” Janalee Bell-Boychuk, regional director general for the Canada Border Services Agency, said in a statement.
“By disrupting this transnational network, the CBSA and its partners are protecting Canada’s economy from smuggling operations that fund organized crime and rob governments of the revenue that supports the programs and services that Canadians depend on.”
