Hickory Hills Man Accused Of Carting Contraband Cigarettes

BRIDGEVIEW, IL -- A Hickory Hills man was arrested after police found thousands of packs of contraband cigarettes in his Dodge Caravan during a traffic stop, prosecutors said. Imad Hamida, 28, appeared before Cook County Judge Michael Kane on a felony charge of possession of contraband cigarettes. Hamida was also charged with violating transportation requirements and traffic violations.

Bridgeview police were on patrol Aug. 2 near 79th Street and Parkside when they saw a Dodge Caravan with an obstructed view, the prosecutor said. Officers claim they encountered the smell of cannabis as they approached the van. The prosecutor said that a police K9 searched the exterior of the car and alerted officers to a “narcotic odor.”

Officers searched the car where they found THC oil and $7,740 dollars in the center console, according to the charges. Also found were 160 large boxes filled with 7,100 packs of Newport cigarettes with Missouri tax stamps. The prosecutor said Hamida refused to make a statement to police following his arrest. The alleged contraband smokes were referred to the Illinois Attorney General’s Office.

Bail was set at $7,500. Hamida is due back in court Aug. 21 in Bridgeview.

~ Photo by Patch Editor Tim Moran