Six Nations Police seize 40,000 kilograms of contraband tobacco
Six Nations police seized more than 40,000 kilograms of contraband tobacco from a manufacturing facility on Six Nations of the Grand River Territory on Thursday, June 11. Officers also recovered a handgun, vehicles, cash and cigarette-making equipment during the search operation.
The haul carried an estimated street value of over $10 million, along with 300 kilograms of shisha tobacco and five complete cigarette manufacturing lines. Police charged Andrew Besam Hadaddin, 34, and Mustafa Jaber, 45, both of Hamilton, then released them after a bail hearing.
Project TRACK on Six Nations
The Ontario Provincial Police Contraband Tobacco Enforcement Team began Project TRACK in April after a separate incident prompted a broader criminal investigation. Search warrants were executed that day at a residence in Hamilton, the large-scale manufacturing facility and a vehicle on Six Nations of the Grand River Territory.
Police seized three stolen vehicles, a truck as offence-related property, $25,000 in Canadian currency, cell phones, other electronics, packaging material and cigarette-making components. Thirteen people were located during the searches and identified as foreign nationals.
Darren Montour and Mike Stoddard
Darren Montour, chief of the Six Nations Police Service, said, "This investigation reflects our ongoing commitment to protecting the safety and well-being of the Six Nations of the Grand River community," and added, "This operation involved non-Indigenous criminal networks exploiting Indigenous lands, with profits that did not benefit our community." He also said, "Criminal activity of this nature does not reflect our values, and we will continue to work alongside our partners to take action against criminal activity that undermines the integrity of our territory."
Mike Stoddart, OPP chief superintendent of the Organized Crime Enforcement Bureau, said, "This investigation highlights the significant role criminal networks play in the manufacturing and distribution of contraband tobacco in Ontario," and, "These illegal operations not only undermine public safety but also exploit communities for profit." The Canada Border Services Agency is engaged in the investigation.
Brantford Court Date
Hadaddin and Jaber are scheduled to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice in Brantford on Thursday, July 23. The charges include trafficking contraband tobacco, possession of tobacco manufacturing equipment, manufacturing tobacco product without a license and unlawful possession or sale of tobacco products.
The case now moves into court, where the charges and the seizure of the manufacturing lines will stand alongside the broader allegation that the facility was tied to a non-Indigenous criminal network.
