A 33-year-old man has been charged after a large amount of tobacco and drugs were seized in Edmonton.
Edmonton police say on May 9, officers from the hospitality policing unit and the west division executed a search warrant at a business in the area of 117th Avenue and 124th Street. They found and seized 100 kilograms of tobacco and 20 kilograms of khat, a plant that contains a mild stimulant.
“Selling untaxed tobacco is a type of illegal trafficking and can contribute to other forms of crime,” Sgt Colin Simpson of the hospitality policing unit said in a news relrease. “Seizures of these illegal substances undoubtedly helps to keep our communities safe.”
The khat had a total estimated street value of $36,000, police said.
The tobacco represented about $51,000 in uncollected provincial and federal taxes.
Sgt. Colin Simpson says selling untaxed tobacco is a type of illegal trafficking and can contribute to other forms of crime.
The man is charged with three counts of selling untaxed tobacco, possession for purpose of trafficking, proceeds of crime and fraud over $5,000.