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Oct 28, 2026 6:04 PM - Connect Newsroom - Ramandeep Kaur with files from The Canadian Press

Cross-Border Tobacco Smuggling Racket Busted in Canada, Four Individuals Face Serious Charges

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Four people charged in a major Canadian tobacco smuggling racket involving 116,000 kg of illegal tobacco. (Photo: The Canadian Press)

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), in a joint operation with the RCMP in Saskatchewan, has uncovered a cross-border tobacco smuggling operation and laid serious criminal charges against four individuals.

According to the CBSA, the group allegedly used the railway network to smuggle approximately 116,000 kilograms of illegal tobacco from the United States into Canada and between different provinces between October 2020 and April 2024.

All four accused are residents of Ontario: 47-year-old Harminder Grewal of Brampton, 49-year-old Avikesh Sharma of Mississauga, 48-year-old Johnny Gamboa of Toronto, and 50-year-old Rinamon Haddad of Caledon.

They face charges related to smuggling, unlawfully transporting goods, tax evasion, and conspiracy to manipulate records.

All four accused are scheduled to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice in Toronto on October 29.

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