A 24-year-old man of St. Philip's is facing charges under the Excise Act and Revenue and Administration Act for possession of contraband tobacco following a traffic stop that was conducted yesterday by RCMP on the west coast.
At approximately 8:30 a.m., acting on information that was received from the public, officers of Channel-Port aux Basques and Bay St. George detachments, along with the RCMP General Investigation Section based out of Stephenville, conducted a traffic stop on a pickup truck on the Trans-Canada Highway near South Branch. The driver was found in possession of contraband tobacco and was arrested. A search of the vehicle resulted in the location and seizure of a large quantity of contraband tobacco products, including nearly 90,000 cigarettes.
The man was released from police custody and is scheduled to appear in court at a later date. Charges of possession of unstamped tobacco products under the Federal Excise Act and Provincial Revenue and Administration Act are pending.
RCMP NL continues to fulfill its mandate to protect public safety, enforce the law, and ensure the delivery of priority policing services in Newfoundland and Labrador.