Illegal and Contraband Tobacco

What is illegal or contraband tobacco?
Tobacco products are illegal/contraband if they are:

• illegally manufactured,
• counterfeit, and/or
• smuggled.

How can I tell the difference between contraband tobacco and legal tobacco?
Baggies:  The most common contraband cigarettes in Manitoba are sold in Zip-loc™ bags containing 200 cigarettes. These ‘baggies’ are sold on the street for between $20 and $40 per bag. The baggies are usually unmarked, although some have a United States Surgeon General warning on them.

Missing label or tear strip: By law, all cigarettes and tobacco must have a Health Canada warning along with a label or ‘tear strip’ on them, which indicates that the required duties and taxes have been paid on them.

Counterfeit: These cigarettes are often manufactured in foreign factories and packaged to look like legitimate Canadian cigarette brands.

Why is the RCMP so concerned with contraband tobacco products?
The sale of illegal tobacco products often benefits organized crime networks. The profits are used to finance drug trafficking, buy illegal weapons and fund other illegal activities.

Contraband tobacco also creates unfair competition for legitimate cigarette retailers.

Millions of dollars that could fund social programs, education, employment programs and health care is lost when tax revenue to federal and provincial governments is not paid.

What are the penalties for selling, possessing or smuggling illegal tobacco?
Be aware that you are funding criminal activity if you are purchasing products that are not sold legitimately. We all have a role to play in combating the contraband tobacco market.

Offenders are liable to substantial fines, confiscation of their property and a prison term of up to five years.

What should I do if I suspect I know someone selling/possessing/smuggling contraband tobacco?
If you suspect someone has or is selling contraband cigarettes or tobacco you can make an anonymous call to:

• Manitoba Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), or
  
  
• RCMP Customs and Excise Sections
• Winnipeg (983-5423)
• Altona (324-5780) and
• Boissevain (534-2426)