Source: “Sometimes a cigar is just a fake,” CBC Marketplace, November 4, 1997.

Police in Canada busted what is believed to be the largest counterfeit goods ring ever.  From the Canadian Press (via Google News): Police in Peel Region, west of Toronto, say they have uncovered what is believed to be the largest counterfeit goods ring in Canadian history. Officers discovered 25,000 pieces of merchandise after raiding three warehouses in Mississauga, [...]

Canadian tobacco companies Imperial Tobacco Canada and Rothmans were fined 1 billion Canadian dollars ($980 Million) for their role in smuggling cigarettes. From Reuters: The charges relate to the years between 1989 and 1994, when tobacco taxes, especially in Eastern Canadian provinces were so high that they prompted widespread cigarette smuggling. The taxes were intended to reduce [...]

The Royal Mounted Canadian Police has stated that Vancouver is a main gateway for counterfeit goods From the Province: Vancouver is one of the largest gateways for counterfeit products into North America, according to RCMP.

A report highlights the art theft market that is occurring in Canada. From Canada.com: It’s a crime that captures the public’s imagination. But the reality of art theft - in the spotlight this weekend with the heist of 12 Bill Reid works - is quite different from the pop culture image, says an international expert. “The theft upon [...]

Jeff Lee, “Counterfeit goods seized from Metro retailers,” Vancouver Sun, April 24, 2008. 

According to the Globe and Mail, 90 percent of pirated movies sold in Canada can be traced back to Toronto. Source: Chanakya Sethi, “Flood of pirated DVDs frustrates police efforts,” Globe and Mail, August 30, 2006, (accessed: September 1, 2006).

In Canada, as many as 50 people are believed to have paid as much as $75,000 for a kidney transplant in China. The organs are believed to have been culled from executed Chinese prisoners. Source: Tom Blackwell, “Canadians buy organs culled in executions,” National Post, May 6, 2006,(accessed: May 19, 2006).

According to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the value of the animal increases between 25 to 50 percent as it moves through the supply chain. Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police, “Just the Facts,” Gazette, Vol.66, Issue 3, 2004.

Canadian authorities and Non-Governmental Organizations are atempting to resolve a huge gap in the estimated number of human trafficking victims in its country. From the Canadian Press: The sex-slave market in Canada is feared to be much larger than existing official estimates, which has prompted authorities to recount the number of victims in the country.Joy Smith, the [...]