Police have recovered a large quantity of contraband cigarettes and made arrests following a traffic stop that took place recently in North Edmonton.
On May 2, 2023, at 10:30 a.m., officers from the EPS Commercial Vehicle Investigations Unit (CVIU) observed two large trucks operating suspiciously around a location near Yellowhead Trail and 85 Street. Police initiated an investigation and conducted a traffic stop on the two trucks where two pallets of contraband cigarettes were located.
During the course of the investigation, officers obtained a search warrant which was later executed at the location near Yellowhead Trail and 85 Street. Seven additional pallets of contraband cigarettes were located. In total, nearly 3 million cigarettes with an approximate street value of $675,000 were recovered.
Majed Shamseddine, 36, and Yonas Weldehaimonot, 34, have each been charged criminally with trafficking contraband tobacco.
CVIU members were involved in a similar seizure in December of 2022 that resulted in the seizure of contraband cigarettes with a street value of $207,500, though these incidents are not related.