June 14, 2007
(Morrisburg, Ontario) On June 12th, 2007, at 9:00 p.m., officers from the Ontario Provincial Police were enforcing the Highway Traffic Act on Highway 401 westbound near Morrisburg, Ontario when the officers observed a 2007 Dodge pick-up truck speeding. Officers also observed the truck to be carrying a heavy load. The truck was stopped and the driver was questioned. A subsequent search of the back of the truck revealed it to be loaded with 40 cases of contraband tobacco. An officer from the Central St. Lawrence Valley RCMP Detachment- Cornwall Office was contacted and he attended the scene to arrest the driver and female passenger and seize the contraband tobacco.
Located inside the truck were 2,000 re-sealable bags of contraband cigarettes. This represents 400,000 cigarettes that were manufactured illegally in the United States and smuggled into Canada. The value of the cigarettes when sold at the street level is $44,000. The driver, a 30 year old male resident of Greenbank Road in Nepean, Ontario as well as the passenger, a 22 year old female resident of Best Way Road in Ottawa, Ontario will be charged 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. They were released to appear in court at a later date. The truck was returned to the registered owner which is a vehicle rental agency located in Gloucester, Ontario.
All law enforcement agencies will continue to ensure that our highways and communities remain safe from the illegal smuggling activity of organized crime groups. We encourage the public to stop purchasing illegal cigarettes as this puts money into the pockets of criminals and increases the tax burden for taxpayers.
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Sgt. Michael Harvey
Central St. Lawrence Valley RCMP Detachment
(613) 937-2831