Content created: 2006-10-27

(Valleyfield, Québec) On October 25th, 2006, at 8:20 p.m., police officers from the Central St. Lawrence Valley RCMP Detachment- Valleyfield Office and officers from the Canada Border Services Agency of Cornwall, Ontario intercepted a 1995 Dodge Ram 1500 van on Highway 20 east near exit 19 for Les Cèdres, Québec after officers followed it from the Cornwall area. Upon further investigation, officers searched the truck and located a large volume of illegal cigarettes. The RCMP seized 2,500 cartons of DK brand cigarettes which total 500,000 cigarettes that were not properly stamped according to the Excise Act 2001. Officers also seized the smuggling van which is owned by a 17 year old teenager who resides in Akwesasne, Ontario. The driver, who is an 18 year old male resident of St. Regis Road, Hogansburg, New York was arrested and will be charged under section 32(1) of the Excise Act 2001 (unlawful possession of a tobacco product that was not stamped in accordance with the provisions of the Excise Act 2001). He also faces a charge from the Québec Provincial Police under the Tobacco Tax Act.

The driver faces a minimum fine of $80,000 under the Excise Act as well as a severe penalty under the Tobacco Tax Act. Police officers have again stopped a significant load of American made contraband cigarettes from being illegally sold in Western Québec.

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Sgt. Michael Harvey
(613)937-2800 Ext. 293
Central St. Lawrence Valley Detachment - Cornwall Office