Hundreds of thousands of illegal cigarettes and hundreds of pounds of cannabis were seized during two traffic stops on Highway 104 near Onslow, N.S., last Thursday. RCMP Traffic Services first pulled over a rental van around 1 p.m. Officers seized approximately 400 pounds of cannabis and 2,000 vapes, according to an RCMP news release. The driver, a 41-year-old man from Toronto, will face charges under the Cannabis Act and the Excise Act. Police say he will also face charges under the Nova Scotia Revenue Act related to the possession of unstamped tobacco. He was released and will appear in Truro provincial court at a later date. About two hours later, an RCMP officer saw an eastbound pickup truck hauling a trailer. Police say the officer stopped the vehicle to check the driver’s documents. The driver was arrested for an alleged offence under the Excise Act. Police say they also found and seized 70 cases of illegal tobacco containing about 700,000 cigarettes during a search of the trailer. The driver, a 42-year-old man from Fredericton, will face charges under the Criminal Code, the Excise Act and the Nova Scotia Revenue Act. He was released pending a future court appearance. Growing problem Cpl. Gary McLaughlin with the RCMP says contraband is a growing problem in Atlantic Canada. He noted they have intercepted more than $5 million in contraband in Nova Scotia in the last seven months. “I can’t put a definitive number on the increase, but what I can say is we are talking about tens of millions of dollars annually coming in in contraband, supporting organized crime efforts across Atlantic Canada,” McLaughlin said. “And it’s growing exponentially and they’re finding new ways to sell their products as well.” Rick Barnum, executive director of the National Coalition Against Contraband Tobacco, said organized crime groups are targeting eastern and western Canada. Most of your contraband tobacco that exist in Canada is manufactured in central Ontario or southwestern Quebec," he said. “It’s then shipped across the country, targeting the East Coast, the West Coast.” With files from CTV News Atlantic’s Brianne Foley For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
