Police forces in Quebec and Ontario seized more than 13,300 kg of contraband shisha tobacco last week, worth approximately $5.8 million.
A total of eight searches were conducted in the cities of Laval, Saint-Eustache, Burlington, Mississauga and Scarborough. These searches, carried out on June 14, mainly targeted warehouses, as well as two residences and vehicles.
The initial investigation targeted a smuggler active in Montreal and Laval, but was traced to an importer based in the Toronto area.
The suspects involved in this case are a 45-year-old Quebecer and two Ontarians aged 44 and 43, the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) said in a press release.
The file will be forwarded to the prosecutors of the two provinces for prosecution for contraband tobacco.
The SPVM’s ACCES Tobacco unit, the Sûreté du Québec and the Ontario Provincial Police jointly led the investigation and the police operation.