Border agents in B.C. announced the seizure of more than 750,000 contraband cigarettes Thursday.
The seizure took place Nov. 19, the Canada Border Services Agency said in a news release, noting that the investigation began back in February.
At that time, CBSA criminal investigators began looking into a “cigarette smuggling operation” after intercepting “numerous contraband cigarette shipments” at Vancouver International Airport and the Vancouver International Mail Centre, the agency said.
The investigation ultimately led to the execution of a search warrant at a home in Vancouver last month.
During the search, CBSA officers arrested a 34-year-old resident and seized 3,826 cartons of contraband cigarettes, 4.2 kilograms of illegal cannabis and $51,915 in cash and casino chips, the agency said.
The CBSA did not name the suspect. It said the investigation is ongoing.
A typical carton of cigarettes contains 10 packs of 20 cigarettes each. That means there are 200 cigarettes …