Traffic stop leads to arrest, seizure of illegal cannabis, cigarettes in Amherst, N.S.

Police seized 20 cases of unstamped cigarettes during a traffic stop in Amherst, N.S., on May 9, 2026. (Nova Scotia RCMP)

A man is facing charges after the Nova Scotia RCMP seized illegal cannabis and unstamped tobacco during a traffic stop in Cumberland County.

A police officer was patrolling Highway 104 around 9:30 a.m. Saturday when they spotted a Ford pickup truck towing an enclosed trailer with an expired Ontario licence plate.

Police say the officer pulled the vehicle over near Exit 4 in Amherst, N.S.

“During the traffic stop, the officer noted a number of irregularities with the trailer and contents of the truck that were consistent with the transportation of contraband,” said the RCMP in a news release Wednesday.

“The officer asked the driver, and sole occupant of the vehicle, a number of questions that he refused to answer.”

The driver, a 30-year-old man from Mississauga, Ont., was arrested for obstruction.

While searching the truck and trailer, the RCMP says officers found and seized 20 cases of unstamped cigarettes and 21 bags of illegal cannabis.

“The truck and trailer were seized under the Excise Act, and an application is being made for their forfeiture,” said police.

The driver will face charges under the Excise Act, the Cannabis Act, and the Criminal Code. He was released from custody and is due to appear in Amherst provincial court on July 20.

Police say audit and enforcement officers with the Department of Service Nova Scotia are assisting with the ongoing investigation.

For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page