Officials at US-Canada border find millions of stashed tobacco

Boxes, bags of loose leaf tobacco discovered during 2 recent searches at Ambassador Bridge

DETROITThe Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) on Friday said it had seized millions of dollars worth of loose leaf tobacco at the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor. 

On Aug. 14, a driver entered Canada with a shipment declared as frozen apple slices. But during an inspection, CBSA officers found 116 boxes filled with 15,497 kg of loose leaf tobacco with an approximate street value of $1.9 million. 

Fine cut tobacco seized at the Ambassador Bridge

--Fine cut tobacco seized at the Ambassador Bridge

The driver, an Ontario resident, was arrested and charged, and is scheduled to appear in court in October.  

On Sept., a driver entered Canada with a shipment declared as rubber mulch. During a secondary inspection, the majority of this shipment was found to actually contain 14,505 kg of loose tobacco with an approximate street value of $1.8 million. 

The driver, a Quebec resident, was arrested and charged, and is scheduled to appear in court in November.  

Since January 2013, CBSA officers in the Southern Ontario Region have seized tobacco worth over $8.3 million. 


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