(Staff) -- A police stop in South Glengarry Tuesday led to the discovery of 2.5 million contraband cigarettes and the arrest of a Quebec man for possession of the illegal smokes worth $275,000.
RCMP and OPP officers stopped a 2005 Hino flatbed truck with a 20-foot shipping container carrying 12,500 resealable bags of cigarettes not properly stamped according to the Excise Act of 2001. Facing charges is a 40- year-old man from St-Isidore-de- Laprairie, Que. The arrest and seizure were made as a result of a joint investigation by Canada Border Services Agency, the RCMP and the OPP.
Officers initiated the stop at 3:15 p. m. on Highway 401 as the truck headed east.
The truck and shipping container were also seized at an estimated worth of $25,000 and $1,500 each.
Sgt. Michael Harvey of the RCMP cautioned clients of those selling contraband cigarettes about the consequences of purchasing the illegal goods.
"The RCMP has investigated a number of cases that demonstrate the connection between illegal tobacco trade and organized crime," Harvey said. "Today organized crime groups are operating in collaboration with each other. Some groups specialize in illicit manufacturing of goods, other groups may be involved in transporting, while another group may specialize in laundering the money."
The RCMP also arrested the driver on a Correctional Service of Canada warrant and is being held in custody. He will appear in an Alexandria court on Oct. 8 to face the Excise Act 2001 charge.