May 2, 2007
(Akwesasne, Ontario) On April 26th, 2007, at 8:40 p.m., officers from the Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service stopped a 1989 Chevrolet GM4 pick-up truck on Cornwall Island in Akwesasne, Ontario after observing the suspicious truck departing a known smuggling area. An officer from the Central St. Lawrence Valley RCMP detachment was contacted and he attended the scene. Subsequent to further investigation under the Customs Act, the RCMP officer searched the truck and seized 2,100 re-sealable bags of contraband cigarettes worth $46,200 as well as the pick-up truck. This seizure represents a total of 420,000 contraband cigarettes that were manufactured in the United States and smuggled into Canada.
The driver, a 34 year old male resident of Oka, Quebec was arrested and faces charges under Section 32(1) of the Excise Act 2001 for possession of a tobacco product that was not properly stamped according to the Excise Act 2001. He was released to appear at the Cornwall Provincial Court on June 11th, 2007. The registered owner of the pick-up truck is a 52 year old male resident of Cornwall Island in Akwesasne, Ontario.
Organized crime hurts individuals in the communities we serve. That is why detecting and deterring organized crime is one of the priorities of the Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service and the RCMP. Enforcement alone is not enough. We believe in a balanced approach that includes education, awareness and enforcement.
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Sgt. Michael Harvey
Central St. Lawrence Valley RCMP Detachment
(613)937-2831
Chief of Police Lewis Mitchell
Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service
(613)575-2340