Cigarette Video Going Viral

NANAIMO, BC – February 4, 2026 – A video going viral on social media shows a Nanaimo RCMP officer pointing to a cigarette pack in a vehicle without required government stamps and stating the occupants were under arrest.

The clip, widely shared on X (formerly Twitter) and Reddit’s r/604RAW, has sparked debate, with some calling the officer’s actions excessive and others noting the legal rules around unstamped tobacco.

In Canada, the sale of unstamped cigarettes is legal on reserves for Status Indians (registered under the Indian Act) buying for personal use, but outside of that context, possession or sale by any person who is not legally exempt is generally an offence under federal and provincial law.

You can watch the video HERE

All manufactured tobacco products sold off-reserve must bear a federal excise stamp, and in British Columbia, an additional provincial tax stamp confirms duties have been paid. Tax-exempt cigarettes sold on reserves may carry only the federal stamp.

A single unstamped pack off-reserve, even empty, can technically constitute an offence and give an officer grounds for detention, questioning, or a search. In practice, however, small quantities are often seized or result in warnings or provincial fines rather than arrest.

The Nanaimo incident has not been confirmed in official RCMP releases as of February 4, 2026.

Contraband tobacco enforcement targets tax evasion and organized networks, while individual small possessions, possibly 1 pack, are rarely prosecuted.