SQ targets contraband tobacco, money laundering in raids

TheSretduQubec have arrested 60 people and carried out 70 raids across Quebec as part of a massive police operation targeting contraband tobacco, drug trafficking and money laundering at an international level.

The SQ sayit is the largest operation againstcontraband tobacco and transnational crime.

• Tobacco smuggling between Canada-U.S. results in 25 arrests
• Revenu Qubec fines $2.2 million for peddling contraband cigarettes

Operation Mygaleinvolves a total of 700 officers in Quebec and Ontario, while simultaneous raids took place elsewhereacrossNorth America,in South America and in Europe.

Officers carried out arrests and raids in homes and businesses inthe Montreal region, on the KahnawakeMohawk territory on Montreal's South Shore, the Laurentians,Lanaudire, the Montrgieand the Six Nations in Ontario.

Provincial police issued three arrest warrants forpeoplein Kahnawake.

The KahnawakePeacekeepers got in touch with the individuals to give them contact information for the SQ.

The Peacekeepers force says it doesnot get involved in tobacco investigations.

A transnational network

The individuals are part of a large criminal organization that, according to police, illegally imported2,081tonnes of tobacco over a two-year period between August 2014 and March 2016.

Thatamountedto $530 million in fraud against the provincial and federal government.

Police say the investigation revealed that individuals would buy tobacco in the United States and illegally importit into Canada. The tobacco would often come through the Lacolle, Lansdowne and Fort Erie borders to be sold in Kahnawake and Six Nations in Ontario.

Massive seizures

Police seized tobacco, money and drugs during their two-year-long investigation, including:

• Over $13.5 million in tobacco.
• Over $1.5 million related to illicit transactions in Canada.
• Almost$3 million in American currency.
• 836 kilogramsof cocaine.
• 21 kilogramsof methamphetamine.
• 100 grams of Fentanyl.
• 16kilogramsof marijuana.