DUFRESNE, Man., — On June 11, at 3:20 pm, a Manitoba RCMP Traffic Services officer was travelling west on Highway 1, near Dufresne, when a vehicle came up behind him travelling at 130 km/h.
The vehicle was immediately pulled over. The two occupants advised they were travelling home to Winnipeg from Ontario. The officer could smell the odor of raw cannabis in the vehicle, and both were arrested.
An officer then opened the passenger door and a bag containing unstamped cigarettes fell out from the side of the door. The officer located other unstamped cigarettes in the same area.
The occupants were then arrested for possession of unstamped cigarettes. A further search of the vehicle led to the seizure of additional cartons of cigarettes hidden in cooler bags inside the vehicle and a large amount of Canadian Currency.
In total, 800 cartons of cigarettes were seized with an approximate street value of $80,000.
The Manitoba triple tax penalty on this seizure is $0.90 per cigarette, for a triple tax fine of $144,000 and an additional Excise Tax (Federal) of $0.17 per cigarette for a fine of $27,200.
The driver, a 62-year-old female from Grand Rapids, and the passenger, a 78-year-old male from Winnipeg, have been charged for Possession of contraband tobacco under the Excise Act, Possession of contraband tobacco for the purpose of distribution and Proceeds of Crime under the Criminal Code as well as Possession of unstamped tobacco under the Tax Administration and Miscellaneous Taxes Act.
The two suspects have been released on a Appearance Notice for court scheduled for September 4, 2026, in Steinbach.
The driver has also been served with a total of $1,351 in fines for:
- Speeding
- Unlawful transportation of cannabis inside a vehicle
- Possession of cannabis that is not packed, labelled and stamped
Manitoba RCMP Traffic Services continue to investigate.
