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Arrests, cannabis and tobacco seized in several raids in Moncton area

August 16, 2024 | David Brown

Department of Justice and Public Safety peace officers in New Brunswick seized cannabis and tobacco products from an unlicensed store in Riverview on August 2, arresting two employees.

Riverview is located just outside Moncton. The products were seized from the L’Nuk Trading Post at 767 Coverdale Rd. The two employees arrested, a 21-year-old and a 31-year-old, face charges under the Cannabis Act and the Tobacco Tax Act. The investigation is ongoing.

Department of Justice and Public Safety peace officers seized:

28,830 cigarettes
7.6 kilograms of dried cannabis
414 grams of hashish
1,409 joints
70 cigars
$10,778 in cash
361 edible cannabis products
68 cannabis vapes
49 flavoured vapes

The report also says a 35-year-old man was arrested on Aug.13, when officers seized $26,154 and cannabis products. He is also facing charges under the Excise Act and Cannabis Act.

A video shared on a social media account connected to the L’Nuk Trading Post on August 15 shows officers at a second L’Nuk Trading Post location in Moncton, with a large crowd assembled. A message on the post says officers conducted raids at both the Riverview and Moncton locations on August 15, as well.

The Moncton store, located at 575 Main St., also faced enforcement action in August 2023, when officers seized 7,719.5 grams of dried cannabis, 690.4 grams of hashish, 171.3 grams of psilocybin (magic mushrooms), 246 grams of cannabis shatter, an undisclosed quantity of assorted cannabis products, edibles, contraband cigarettes, and $10,432 in cash.

The store quickly reopened following that raid. The business’ social media accounts describe the business as Indigenous-owned and indicate they “don’t sell products, we share our tradition.”

A video shared on Facebook in May 2023 shows several store employees and First Nations representatives delivering a letter to the RCMP stating that the store is operating under territorial rights, which they argue means they don’t need a licence from the province. The store is located just a few doors down from an RCMP station.

Former National Assembly of First Nations Chief Del Riley also appears in the video, and he’s been working with many First Nations communities in Canada to make similar arguments for sovereignty for cannabis retailers on First Nations land.

The province’s Public Safety Minister, Kris Austin, told media earlier this year that there is nothing the province can do to enforce its provincial cannabis rules on businesses operating on First Nations reserves. She instead argues the issue is up to the federal government to enforce.

New Brunswick has been conducting numerous raids following the passage of a new law earlier this year giving more enforcement power to inspectors. Authorities first applied these new laws in a seizure on July 24 in Saint John.

Several different cannabis products were seized from an unlicensed cannabis store in Fredericton, New Brunswick, on July 23 during a joint operation involving Justice and Public Safety peace officers and Fredericton Police.

In June and July, inspectors seized cannabis products from unlicensed stores in Moncton. No one was arrested at the time, but authorities say the investigation is ongoing.