Paul Legall
The Hamilton Spectator
Cornwall (Nov 6, 2007)
A Hagersville man and a resident of the Six Nations reserve were among 13 people arrested in a massive police crackdown on tobacco smuggling organizations in the Cornwall area.
The sweep conducted on Nov. 1 involved numerous law enforcement agencies, including the RCMP, the Canada Border Services Agency, the OPP, the Quebec Provincial Police and the Ontario Ministry of Revenue.
In a press release yesterday, RCMP spokesperson Sergeant Michael Harvey, of the Central St. Lawrence detachment, said the operation targeted criminal organizations that smuggle contraband tobacco in the Cornwall area.
The area has become known as "Smugglers' Alley" because of the large amount of contraband that flows into Canada from the United States.
The joint operation focused on targeting individuals who belong to various crime groups that facilitate the distribution of contraband tobacco throughout Canada, he wrote.
During the sweep, the agencies stopped 10 vehicles and arrested 13 people, including the two area men.
They were not named. The group included seven Cornwall residents; one from St. Andrews, Ont.; one from the Kahnawake Mohawk territory in Quebec.; one from Val d'Or, Que.; and one from Maniwaki, Que.
Harvey said they will all be charged under the federal Excise Act of 2001 as well as the Provincial Tobacco Tax Act.
During the sweep, police seized about $443,000 worth of vehicles and illegal tobacco products.
"Our enforcement agencies are directed at criminal organizations involved in the smuggling, manufacturing and distribution of tobacco products," Harvey stated in the release.