Regional Task Force Seizes 550,000 Contraband Cigarettes

Nov 8, 2007

(Morrisburg, Ontario) On November 6th , 2006, at 6:20 p.m., members of the Ontario Provincial Police stopped two 2005 rental passenger vans on Highway 401 going westbound near Morrisburg, Ontario. Earlier in the day officers from the Ontario Ministry of Finance had followed the vans from the Toronto area to the Avonmore area. Officers from the Central St. Lawrence Valley RCMP, Canada Border Services Agency and the Ontario Provincial Police were contacted to assist. RCMP officers located and seized contraband cigarettes and arrested the drivers of the vans. Both rental vans were returned to the rental agency.

Located in the first van were 1,000 cartons of DK brand cigarettes and 250 re-sealable bags of cigarettes not properly stamped. The 53 year old male driver, a resident of Ellendale Drive in Scarborough, Ontario 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 will also be charged under authority of the Tobacco Tax Act. He presently has similar charges before the court stemming from an arrest in June 2006. Located in the second van were 1,000 cartons of DK brand cigarettes as well as 500 re-sealable bags of cigarettes not properly stamped. The 36 year old female driver, a resident of Jubilee Drive in Niagara Falls, Ontario, 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). She will also be charged under authority of the Tobacco Tax Act. She was then arrested by the Ottawa Police Service on an outstanding warrant for a theft over $5,000 charge and escorted back to Ottawa. These seizures represent a total of 550,000 illegal cigarettes that were destined for the Toronto area.

The Ontario Ministry of Finance officers are a valuable partner in the Central St. Lawrence Valley Regional Task Force. Their proactive investigations after a contraband cigarette seizure have proven to be successful and heavy fines under the Tobacco Tax Act have been imposed.