Manitoba RCMP seize 1.2 million illegal cigarettes during traffic stop

Manitoba RCMP have seized more than a million illegal cigarettes during a traffic stop just over the Ontario border.

Officers pulled over the vehicle heading west on the Trans-Canada Highway near Falcon Lake around 3 p.m. Monday.

A search of the vehicle found 120 cases of illegal tobacco, containing 1.2 million cigarettes.

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Issa Ahmad, 47, and Behzad Ahmed, 40, both from Edmonton, are each facing criminal charges for trafficking contraband tobacco, as well as charges under the Tax Administration and Miscellaneous Taxes Act (TAMTA) and the Excise Act, 2001.

If convicted, police say the pair could face a mandatory triple tax penalty of nearly $1.1 million under the TAMTA.

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Both men have been released on a promise to appear in court in Winnipeg March 2.

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