It appears cigarette smugglers are becoming more brazen in their attempts to move the contraband in and around the region.
Hundreds of thousands of cigarettes were seized by police following an attempt by the would-be smugglers to use their vehicles to block the approach of a police cruiser.
An Akwesasne Mohawk Police officer saw three vehicles blow through a stop sign on the reserve on Wednesday at around 10:30 p. m.
When the officer attempted to stop the first vehicle, a 2008 Dodge pick-up, the drivers of the other two vehicles interfered with the stop by slowing down in front of the police vehicle.
The officer later located the 2008 Dodge pick-up truck in Cornwall where it had been abandoned following a collision with another vehicle. Police say witnesses confirmed that the driver had fled the scene on foot.
LOOT SEIZED
RCMP officers from Cornwall detachment seized the Dodge pick up worth an estimated $30,000, and 350,000 cigarettes packaged in 1,750 plastic resealable bags.
The cigarettes have an estimated value of $38,500, and are believed to have been manufactured in the United States.
"By disobeying the basic rules of the road, the people involved in this type of activity have demonstrated just how willing they are to interfere with the police in the execution of their duties and place other motorists in jeopardy," said Sgt. Michael Harvey of the RCMP's Cornwall Detachment.