Police raid illicit cannabis stores in four provinces

| Morton Robertson

Police in Manitoba, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Ontario announced raids of cannabis stores this past week, seizing products and conducting arrests. 

On June 3 in Nova Scotia, the Cumberland Integrated Street Crime Enforcement Unit and Cumberland District RCMP executed a search warrant at a trailer, arresting two men from New Brunswick following complaints regarding the sale of cannabis from a parked utility trailer near Hwy. 2 in Fenwick, Nova Scotia.

Fenwick is about a ten-minute drive from the New Brunswick border. During the search, police say they seized the trailer, a Dodge Ram Power Wagon, more than four kgs of illegal cannabis and edibles, hashish and shatter, and cash.

The men, both from Fredericton, New Brunswick, are facing charges under the federal Cannabis Act, including Possession of Cannabis for the Purpose of Distributing and Possession of Cannabis for the Purpose of Selling. They were released on conditions and are scheduled to appear in Amherst Provincial Court in Nova Scotia on August 26.

On June 5 in Hamilton, Ontario, police again raided several “Indige Smoke” stores in the Niagara region. Three such locations were previously raided in March, as well. No details on those most recent raids are currently available from police. The company’s website lists five locations in Ontario. 

On June 6, RCMP in Manitoba shared information about a search warrant they executed in April at a home in Flin Flon in relation to the illegal sale of cannabis products. Police seized more than $430,000 worth of product, along with 25 firearms and ammunition. A 42-year-old male and a 23-year-old female were arrested on scene.

Photos shared by RCMP show an array of cannabis products, from dried flower and pre-rolls, to extracts, tinctures, edibles, and vapes. 

On June 7, the New Brunswick Department of Justice and Public Safety says they arrested a 27-year-old man from Hanwell following a raid that seized dried cannabis, hashish, psilocybin, other cannabis products, electronic scales, packaging and printing material, and cash.on suspicion of possessing more than 32 kilograms of dried cannabis and a concealed weapon for a dangerous purpose. The raid was conducted on May 10.