Smokes From Kahnawake Reserve Seized In Saskatoon
Wednesday, February 02, 2011 at 13:44
Tobacco enforcement officials in Saskatchewan have seized 100 cartons of cigarettes they say were illegally imported into the province.
Saskatchewan Finance says the cigarettes originated on the Kahnawake reserve in Quebec and appear to be part of a broader attempt by a reserve-based company there to market its tobacco in western Canadian provinces.
Cigarettes from Rainbow Tobacco of Kahnawake have also been seized in both Alberta and British Columbia in recent weeks.
Acting on a tip, enforcement officers and RCMP border integrity officers made the seizure at a Saskatoon courier depot earlier this week before they reached their intended destination.
Government spokesman Randy Burton can’t say where the smokes were headed — but he says they were destined for a business, not a Saskatchewan reserve.
The government alleges this was an attempt to import cigarettes that have not had provincial taxes paid on them.
The provincial tobacco tax amounts to $42 per carton of cigarettes.
Fines for contravening the Tobacco Tax Act range from $10,000 for individuals and $50,000 for corporations.
The case remains under investigation.