A man from Ste. Anne could face jail time and a hefty fine following the seizure of illegal tobacco products.

On May 29th, Manitoba Finance's Taxation Special Investigations Unit arrested the 38-year-old within the city of Winnipeg. They seized 122,816 contraband cigarettes, 2,000 grams of fine cut tobacco and two vehicles.

The man was found in possession of illegal tobacco products that were not marked for Manitoba tax purposes. He now faces charges under The Manitoba Tobacco Tax Act, the Tax Administration and Miscellaneous Taxes Act and the Criminal Code.

In relation to the seized tobacco, Manitoba stood to lose $37,130.72 in tax revenue if these products had been sold. For a first-time offence, individuals face fines between $1,000 and $10,000 and/or up to six months imprisonment. If convicted, the accused is subject to a triple tax penalty of $111,392.16.