The Winnipeg Police Service’s Property Crime Unit and Guns & Gangs Unit, with the assistance of the Major Crimes Unit, have seized approximately 3 million illegal cigarettes with an estimated street value of $1.2 million. The investigation, which focused on contraband cigarettes and firearms transported from Ontario to Winnipeg, resulted in the arrest of five individuals.
Arrests and Seizures
On December 23, two suspects were apprehended at a hotel in the 1400 block of Niakwa Road East. Subsequent searches of a moving truck, a motorhome, and an SUV in the nearby 1300 and 1400 blocks of Niakwa revealed that the vehicles had travelled from Ontario to Winnipeg. The searches yielded a significant haul, including:
- Approximately 3 million contraband cigarettes
- 2 firearms (a 12-gauge shotgun and a .308 rifle) and ammunition
- 2 pellet guns
- Body armour
- 2-way radios
- Cell phones
Charges Laid
Following the investigation, the Province of Manitoba Taxation Special Investigation Unit was consulted regarding the Retail Sales Tax and Tobacco Tax Act. The following individuals were charged and released on Undertakings:
- Farhan NABIL, 27, from Kitchener, Ontario
- Cengizhan SOYDEMIR, 30, from Toronto, Ontario
- Uzay BILGIN, 30, from Ontario
The charges include:
- Trafficking in Contraband Tobacco
- Possession of Tobacco (Tobacco Tax Act)
- Use of Firearm During Commission of an Indictable Offence
- Possession of body armour without a valid permit
Additionally, a 20-year-old male from Guelph, Ontario, and a 24-year-old male from Brampton, Ontario, are also facing charges for Trafficking in Contraband Tobacco and Possession of Tobacco (Tobacco Tax Act). They too were released on Undertakings.
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