Police say an investigation spanning several communities has led to the arrest of four individuals and the largest one-time seizure of contraband cigarettes in BC, with a retail value of $11 million.
The Combined Special Enforcement Unit (CSEU) said in a statement that in August 2023, CFSEU-BC received information regarding an alleged drug and contraband tobacco trafficking network.
The investigation quickly expanded to multiple jurisdictions around the Lower Mainland and southern Vancouver Island and the investigators determined that the suspects involved were connected to gangs and organized crime.
The investigation that began in has, to date, resulted in the seizure of 32 firearms, a large quantity of ammunition, body armor, 10 pallets of contraband liquor, 35 pallets of contraband tobacco, 8 vehicles, 1 speedboat, half a kilogram of cocaine, and other items consistent with suspected drug trafficking.
In January 2024, CFSEU-BC Investigators, with the assistance of several support units from partner police agencies, executed seven (7) search warrants in Langley, Abbotsford, Surrey, and Victoria.
All four individuals arrested have been released pending the judicial process. “Organized Crime groups support their criminal enterprise in various ways including by dealing in illicit commodities. This investigation resulted in the largest one-time seizure of contraband cigarettes in B.C. and speaks to CFSEU-BC’s dedication to fulfilling its mandate to disrupt and support the prosecution of those gang-involved individuals who impact public safety and seek to make profits off of illegal commodities,” says Sergeant Brenda Winpenny, Media Relations Officer for CFSEU-BC. “Our mandate and ability to work with our partner agencies to investigate across multiple jurisdictions allows us to target gang members and groups who impact public safety in multiple communities. We will continue to aggressively pursue members of organized crime groups and their associates, holding them accountable for the harm they bring to our communities.”
