Manitoba government officials have confiscated more than 89,000 cheap Robinson cigarettes from a First Nation-run shop that was intentionally selling the smokes without a licence.
Manitoba Finance says its special investigations unit, along with RCMP, seized about 89,550 contraband cigarettes from the Dakota Chundee Smoke Shop near Pipestone, Man., at about 12:20 p.m. CT on Tuesday.
"The cigarettes seized are federally stamped under the Excise Act 2001 but are not marked or stamped for sale in Manitoba," the province said in a release.
Provincial officials are expected to show off the seized cigarettes to reporters on Wednesday in Winnipeg. They say the investigation continues and charges are pending.
Located on off-reserve land about 80 kilometres southwest of Brandon, the Dakota Chundee Smoke Shop was run by leaders from the Dakota Plains and Canupawakpa First Nations.
