A 65-year-old male suspect was recently arrested and charged resulting from a large quantity of illicit cannabis being seized during a traffic stop in the Rural Municipality of Portage la Prairie.

Officers with the RCMP Roving Traffic unit recently conducted a traffic stop on a commercial vehicle traveling east on Highway 1 in the RM of Portage la Prairie. The traffic stop led to a load inspection, which resulted in the seizure of approximately 600 kilograms of illicit cannabis.

RCMP report that a 65-year-old male from Toronto was arrested in connection to this incident. The suspect will now be facing charges under the Cannabis Act, Excise Act, and Liquor, Gaming and Cannabis Control Act.

“We continue to enforce the laws against illicit cannabis as it’s possession is a criminal offence and is an issue of public safety,” said Inspector Michael Gagliardi, Officer in Charge of RCMP Traffic Services. “Anyone purchasing illicit cannabis does not know where it came from or what it could be cut with. Often, illicit cannabis is associated with organized crime and all the other criminal elements that entails.”