Up in smokes: RCMP seizes more than 3.5M cigarettes near Lumsden

The Saskatchewan RCMP extinguished an operation Sunday that was moving more than 3.5 million illegal cigarettes.

On Monday, the Mounties said an officer stopped a semi on Highway 11 near Lumsden at around 1 p.m. According to the RCMP, the officer saw evidence that the truck was carrying illegal cigarettes and conducted a search.

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“The officer searched the semi and trailer and located 12.5 pallets of unstamped cigarettes,” an RCMP release said. “In total, Lumsden RCMP seized approximately 356 cases of unstamped tobacco totalling 3.56 million cigarettes.”

The driver of the semi, a 25-year-old man from Edmonton, was arrested and charged with one count each of possession for the purpose of sale of tobacco product, possession of unstamped tobacco products, unlawful importation of tobacco, and possession of unstamped tobacco.

He was to appear in Regina Provincial Court on Monday.

The RCMP seized more than 3.5 million cigarettes during a traffic stop near Lumsden on Sunday. (RCMP/Submitted)