A months-long RCMP investigation northwest of Edmonton has turned up 147,700 cartons of illegal cigarettes.
At 200 cigarettes a carton, that's about 29.5 million cigarettes.
Police value them at more than $30 million, and say they represent nearly $10 million in unpaid taxes. Officers also seized three firearms, two vehicles and $225,045 in cash.
A 50-year-old Westlock man has been charged.
It started with a tip
In January, Westlock RCMP got information that someone in the area was selling unstamped cigarettes.
An unrelated police call backed it up. Officers seized a carton of contraband cigarettes, and the person they took it from said they'd bought it at a Westlock shop called "The Boutique."
Police started investigating the business, using surveillance and an undercover officer.
15 search warrants
June 17 and 18: Police executed several warrants, seized goods and arrested the main suspect. He was released on conditions.
The next two months: The undercover officer made two more purchases tied to the same man. One led to a separate investigation and warrants in the Morinville and Edmonton areas on Aug. 26.
Sept. 15: The investigation led police to a storage site on a rural property in Westlock County. Officers searched it and arrested the same man again.
In all, police executed 15 search warrants.
What police seized
2,954 master cases of unstamped cigarettes, or 147,700 cartons.
$225,045 in Canadian cash.
Three firearms.
Two vehicles.
For scale: earlier this year, Red Deer RCMP seized 53 cartons of unstamped cigarettes from a store on Gaetz Avenue. This investigation seized about 2,800 times as many.
The charges
Omar Saleh, 50, of Westlock, is charged with:
Three counts of careless use of a firearm.
Possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000.
Fraud over $5,000.
Illegal sale of tobacco products.
The charges haven't been proven in court. Saleh was released on conditions and is due in court in Westlock on Oct. 29.
What "unstamped" means
Cigarettes sold legally in Canada carry a stamp showing taxes have been paid. Unstamped cigarettes skip those taxes, which is why they sell for much less.
An RCMP crackdown
In January, Alberta RCMP and Crime Stoppers launched a campaign against illegal tobacco.
RCMP said charges for possessing or selling illegal tobacco had risen sharply since 2021, when just 12 were laid. Police say illegal tobacco may not meet the same health and safety standards as legal products, and that it hurts businesses that follow the rules.
To report illegal tobacco sales anonymously, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or go to p3tips.com.
Sources
Alberta RCMP news, Royal Canadian Mounted Police
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