Two Ontario men face charges after a truck was pulled over in southeastern Saskatchewan hauling 5.4 million illegal cigarettes.

RCMP say the truck was stopped last Thursday near Indian Head by Saskatchewan Highway Patrol officers.

When they looked inside the officers found cigarettes without tax stamps and 1,356 kilograms of shisha tobacco.

RCMP Sgt. Ryan Case says in a release that the sale of contraband tobacco reduces revenue for the provincial government and business owners who sell legal cigarettes, and notes that illegal sales are often tied to organized crime groups.

Sargon Jahn and Berj Antaneek, both from Hamilton, Ont., face charges under the Criminal Code, the Excise Act and the Tobacco Tax Act.

They are to appear in Indian Head provincial court on Jan. 3, 2023.