The Sûreté du Québec (SQ) and Montreal police carried out several raids Wednesday in the Montreal area as part of a cross-border tobacco smuggling investigation.
Sgt. Valérie Beauchamp with the SQ said multiple raids were carried out as part of an ongoing investigation that began in the fall of 2021 targeting suppliers of illegal cigarette manufacturers smuggling tobacco into Canada from the United States.
Eight men from Ontario, all in their 30s, were arrested and charged. They are expected to appear at a Longueuil courthouse Wednesday afternoon.
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More details from Wednesday’s operation are expected later in the evening, Beauchamp said.
The smuggling of illegal tobacco and contraband is a widespread issue that has been constant, she added.
On Tuesday, two men, ages 76 and 45, were arrested in connection with tobacco trafficking in the area.
In two searches, police seized more than 53,000 contraband cigarettes, nearly $12,500 in cash and a Volvo sport utility vehicle valued at $7,000 that was used to transport cigarettes.
Beauchamp told Global News that last April, 25 searches were conducted in Toronto and three other regions, leading to the seizure of 85,000 kilograms of tobacco being smuggled between Quebec and Ontario.
All suspects could face charges under Quebec’s Tobacco Tax Act, which bans the sale or possession of untaxed tobacco.
The operations are part of ACCES Tabac, a provincial program created in 2001 to fight the illegal tobacco trade and protect legitimate businesses.
Police ask anyone with information about drug trafficking to contact them.
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