Police to meet public over smuggling activity

April 23, 2010 Cornwall Standard Freeholder

(Staff)--Increased smuggling activity along the South Glengarry waterfront has prompted police to schedule two public meetings for next week.

The Cornwall Regional Task Force will make a presentation and answer residents' questions during a pair of meetings on Tuesday at Precious Blood Parish in Glen Walter and Thursday at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Lancaster. Both meetings begin at 7:30 p.m. and are open to everyone.

RCMP Sgt. Michael Harvey said they decided to organize the meetings amid growing concerns over smugglers using private properties to move their product.

"People have been threatened," Harvey said.

The public meetings come as the special police task force continues to disrupt smuggling supply routes in the area.

Over the past two weeks, task force members have made 11 seizures and eight arrests in the area. In that time alone, police have seized 15,350 resealable bags of cigarettes, 280 kilograms of fine cut tobacco, five vehicles and more than $10,000 of Canadian currency.