Over 15,500 kilograms of contraband tobacco seized at the Peace Bridge port of entry

News Release

One (1) of the 132 boxes filled with undeclared loose leaf tobacco seized at Peace Bridge on January 22, 2018

February 8, 2018 Fort Erie, Ontario Canada Border Services Agency

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) announced today the seizure of over 15,500 kilograms of undeclared loose leaf tobacco at the Peace Bridge in Fort Erie.

On January 22, 2018, a border services officer working at Peace Bridge Commercial Operations referred a tractor trailer with a shipment declared as cardboard boxes for a secondary examination.

Upon examining the cardboard boxes, border services officers discovered 132 boxes of undeclared loose leaf tobacco weighing a total of 15,535 kg with an estimated value of $1.2 million.

The investigation is ongoing.

Photo

One (1) of the 132 boxes filled with undeclared loose leaf tobacco seized at Peace Bridge on January 22, 2018.

Quotes

“I am very proud of officers for their vigilance and dedication in keeping contraband tobacco out of our communities.” - Jeff Walters, Director, Fort Erie District Operations, Southern Ontario Region, Canada Border Services Agency

Quick Facts

The Canada Border Services Agency’s (CBSA) role is to facilitate the entry of legitimate travel and trade, while ensuring that Canada's borders are not used for illegal activity.
Undervaluation, smuggling and other Customs Act offences may lead to seizure action and/or prosecution in a court of law.
In 2017, the CBSA in the Southern Ontario Region seized 25,152 kg of contraband tobacco.
If you have information about suspicious cross-border activity, please contact the CBSA toll-free Border Watch Line at 1-888-502-9060.