A routine traffic stop in Lloydminster turned into one of Alberta’s largest recent tobacco busts after RCMP say they uncovered a semi-truck packed with millions of illegal cigarettes.Lloydminster RCMP pulled over the truck in the early hours of Nov. 18 on 44 Street after the driver reportedly failed to provide required paperwork for the load he was hauling. Mounties say that sparked an investigation that quickly escalated, leading officers to obtain a search warrant for the truck and trailer.Police say they ultimately seized about 8.8 million unstamped tobacco cigarettes, worth an estimated $7.65 million on the street. The semi-truck, trailer and all contents were also seized..The driver, 33-year-old Gurjant Singh of Surrey, B.C., was arrested and charged under the Criminal Code, the Excise Act and the Alberta Tobacco Tax Act. Charges include fraud over $5,000, possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000, unlawful possession of tobacco products, possession of proceeds of crime, possession of more than 1,000 cigarettes and importing tobacco into Alberta.Singh was released on conditions after a judicial hearing and is scheduled to appear in Lloydminster Provincial Court on Dec. 16.“This seizure represents a significant disruption to the illegal tobacco trade,” Sgt. Christopher Byford said, adding that contraband operations cut into legitimate businesses and often have ties to organized crime.RCMP are asking anyone with information about the case or other criminal activity to contact the Lloydminster detachment or Crime Stoppers.
