News release

Illegal Tobacco Seized in Cumberland County

Service Nova Scotia (April 2014 - May 2019)

More illegal tobacco has been taken off the streets of Nova Scotia following a one-month investigation by Service Nova Scotia's Compliance and Special Investigations Unit.

On Thursday, Feb. 9, following a traffic stop near Amherst, two arrests were made, along with the seizure of a vehicle and 85,000 contraband cigarettes. The estimated provincial tax value of the cigarettes is more than $23,000 and federal tax value is $18,000.

The Cumberland District RCMP, officers of the Sûreté du Québec Contraband Tobacco Unit, and officers of the New Brunswick Department of Justice and Public Safety and Contraband Enforcement Unit, assisted Service Nova Scotia with the investigation.

Two Halifax-area men, ages 51 and 52, are scheduled to appear in Amherst provincial court on April 27. They will face charges under the Nova Scotia Revenue Act, Excise Act 2001 and the Criminal Code.

Service Nova Scotia, through its Audit and Enforcement Section of the Alcohol, Gaming, Fuel and Tobacco Branch, is responsible for reducing illegal tobacco in Nova Scotia by working with its law enforcement partners, and through education and enforcement.

Service Nova Scotia's interprovincial and interagency cooperation with law enforcement partners is a valued asset, as it assists greatly in the fight against contraband tobacco smuggling.

Anyone with information about the sale and manufacturing of illegal tobacco is asked to contact their local police or Crime Stoppers.

Calls to Crime Stoppers are not taped or traced. If police make an arrest and lay charges based on a tip, callers qualify for a cash reward between $50.00 - $2,000.