Latest news with #contrabandTobacco
CTV News
4 days ago
- CTV News
Brantford men charged in multi-million-dollar contraband tobacco operation
A cache of seized contraband tobacco is seen in this image. (OPP) The investigation into a multi-million dollar contraband tobacco operation has resulted in four more arrests. Ontario Provincial Police said Abdelrahman Hasan, 28, and Saif Hasan, 20, both from Brantford, were arrested in April 2025, along with Omar Omran, a 25-year-old from Scarborough, and Nael Alwarasaneh, a 36-year-old from Burlington. All four were charged with trafficking contraband tobacco. According to media release sent out on Friday, the OPP's Contraband Tobacco Enforcement Team (CTET) began investigating 'a network of individuals based in the GTA' in January 2024. Then, on July 4 of that same year, they executed three search warrants in the GTA. OPP said they seized more than 800 kilograms of shisha tobacco, more than 16,000 contraband cigarettes and $30,000 in Canadian cash. The street value of the tobacco was estimated at around $90,000. Contraband tobacco bust Ontario police say they've seized $2.3 million worth of illegal shisha and cigarettes. (OPP) Another 16 search warrants were conducted in Brantford, Burlington, Mississauga, Vaughn and Scarborough on Oct. 24. In that bust, OPP said they found 19,000 kilograms of contraband tobacco, with an estimated street value of $2.3 million. They also seized a number of electronic devices. A Toronto man, 58-year-old Ali Mallah, was charged with trafficking contraband tobacco in November 2024.
CTV News
4 days ago
- CTV News
Ontario police seize $2.3 million worth of contraband shisha tobacco, cigarettes
Ontario police say they've seized $2.3 million worth of illegal shisha and cigarettes from a contraband tobacco trafficking network that was allegedly operating in the Greater Toronto Area. In a news release issued Friday, Ontario Provincial Police said they began their 16-month 'intelligence-led' investigation in Jan. 2024, in collaboration with the Canada Border Services Agency and the Ontario Ministry of Finance. Police executed three search warrants in the GTA on July 4 of last year and seized $90,000 worth of contraband tobacco, including 800 kilograms of shisha and 16,000 cigarettes. Police also seized $30,000 worth of Canadian currency. Ontario Provincial Police tobacco seizure A cache of seized contraband tobacco is seen in this image. (OPP) Sixteen additional search warrants were executed on Oct. 24 in Brantford, Burlington, Mississauga, Vaughan and Scarborough and resulted in the seizure of roughly 19,000 kilograms of contraband tobacco. The seized tobacco has an estimated value of $2.3 million, police said. Toronto resident Ali Mallah, 58, was the first to be arrested in connection with the investigation in November. He was charged with trafficking contraband tobacco. Four additional suspects were arrested in April, including Omar Omran, 25, of Toronto, Nael Alwarasaneh, 36, of Burlington, Abdelrahman Hasan, 28, of Brantford, and Saif Hasan, 20, of Brantford. They each face a charged of trafficking contraband tobacco. All of the accused were released from custody and are scheduled to appear in a Toronto courtroom on Monday.
CTV News
02-06-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Police in Cornwall, Ont. seize hundreds of thousands of contraband tobacco products in first three months of 2025
Police in Cornwall, Ont. seized more than half a million dollars worth of contraband tobacco products in the first three months of the year. The RCMP allege that several individuals have attempted to smuggle unstamped tobacco, cigarettes, cigars and nicotine pouches into Ontario. During the first three months of 2025, officers with the Cornwall Regional Taskforce — made up of the RCMP, Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and the Ontario Ministry of Finance — arrested 13 people from Ontario, Quebec, and New York following seizures of unstamped tobacco and nicotine pouches. One of the largest seizures happened on Jan. 7, when officers stopped a vehicle at the border and found 280,000 cigarettes. The driver, from Saint Regis, Que. and the passenger, from Hogansburg, N.Y., were charged. Over the course of three months, police say they seized 633 kilograms of unstamped tobacco. In addition to the 280,000 cigarettes, officers also seized 180,380 nicotine pouches, 17,400 cigars and 1,440 ounces of chewing tobacco. Eight vehicles were also seized during the investigations.
CTV News
23-05-2025
- CTV News
Raid on Six Nations of the Grand River nets 25,000 kg in contraband tobacco
A heavy police presence was reported in Six Nations of the Grand River on Wednesday morning as officers from multiple agencies executed a warrant at a tobacco manufacturing facility. (Dan Lauckner/CTV News) Ontario Provincial Police say more than 25,000 kg of contraband tobacco was seized during a raid on Six Nations of the Grand River. The street value has been estimated at $6.29 million. On May 7, multiple enforcement agencies conducted a search warrant at a property on Chiefswood Road, between 3rd Line and 4th Line. OPP said, in addition to the tobacco and cigarettes, they found more than 1,360 lbs. of illegal cannabis and a 'large quantity' of illegal cannabis products. They were valued at approximately $3 million. The team also seized approximately 3.16 kg of psilocybin, worth about $31,600, multiple skids of contraband tobacco packing material and 15 guns. No details have been released about any possible charges laid in connection with the operation. OPP said their investigation with the Six Nations Police Service, called Project PANDA, began in February 2025. 'This investigation involved a tobacco manufacturing facility operated by members of a non-Indigenous criminal network who do not reside on the territory,' a media release said. 'The profits were not invested in or utilized by the community.' On March 21 and March 27, police executed search warrants on vehicles that left the manufacturing facility in Six Nations. Inside they found approximately 11.1 million contraband cigarettes. OPP said they had an estimated street value of $2.8 million. The raid on May 7 included properties in Ancaster, Brantford and Six Nations. Multiple enforcement agencies were involved, including: the OPP's Organized Crime Enforcement Bureau, Six Nations Police Service, OPP Emergency Response Team, OPP Tactics and Rescue Unit, Brant County OPP Crime Unit, OPP Provincial Liaison Team, Highway 407 OPP, Burlington OPP, Haldimand OPP, OPP Digital Forensics and Forensic Identification Services, as well as OPP Community Street Crime Units in Haldimand and Norfolk County, Perth County, Huron County, Brant County and Elgin/Middlesex. Six Nations canine unit A Six Nations Police canine unit vehicle was seen as investigators executed a search warrant on May 7, 2025. (Dan Lauckner/CTV News) OPP said their investigation into the criminal network is ongoing. Anyone with information that can help officers is asked to contact OPP at 1-888-310-1122 or submit an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or Obstruction charge Only one person is known to have been arrested in the May 7 raid. Six Nations Police said Francois Cadieux, a 47-year-old man from Oakville, Ont., was charged with obstructing a police officer. He allegedly slashed the tires of a vehicle parked in the driveway of the Chiefswood Road property. Police said it was done for the purpose of 'intentionally blocking the entranceway.'
