1.2M illegal cigarettes seized by cops in suspected smuggling operation in Ontario city

More than 1.2 million illegal cigarettes were recovered by police after a “suspicious” driver unwittingly led federal authorities to a home in eastern Ontario and a suspected smuggling operation last month.

While conducting surveillance on Oct. 17 as part of a Canada Border Services Agency-led investigation, RCMP officers in Cornwall spotted the driver of a 2003 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck behaving suspiciously, police said in a news release this week.

“The vehicle arrived at a residence, reversed up to the garage and police suspected the vehicle was involved in contraband smuggling,” the RCMP said.

An RCMP spokesperson said in an email to INsauga.com the home in question is in Cornwall, located east of Kingston and close to the Canada-U.S. border.

Police said they stopped and searched the pickup, finding 22 boxes of “unstamped cigarettes” in the bed of the vehicle.

Officers subsequently obtained a search warrant for a garage at the home and a second vehicle — a 2016 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van — that was also at the home.

In total, police say they recovered 123 cases of “unstamped tobacco cigarettes” amounting to 1.23 million cigarettes.

Two men — one described as the homeowner and the other the driver of the pickup truck — were arrested and charged by police.

The driver of the truck is from Akwesasne, New York, located right on the border between the two countries and close to Cornwall.

Both men are charged with possession of unstamped tobacco. They’ll appear in Cornwall court on Dec. 17, police said.

The RCMP said illegal tobacco helps finance criminal networks on both sides of the border.

“Contraband tobacco remains a significant revenue stream for organized crime and individuals looking to profit from this illegal underground industry, undermining public health and depriving our communities of vital tax revenue that supports essential services,” said Cornwall RCMP Insp. Etienne Thauvette.

Contraband tobacco, police said, refers to illegal tobacco products that are smuggled, counterfeited or sold without appropriate taxes or health regulations.

“Its effects are widespread, impacting public health, public safety, government revenue and the broader economy,” police said.

Revenue from contraband tobacco “often supports organized crime activities such as drug trafficking, human trafficking and firearms smuggling.”

Police noted the Cornwall Regional Task Force was at the centre of the investigation. It’s comprised of investigators from the RCMP Border Integrity Unit, CBSA, Ontario Provincial Police and the Ontario Ministry of Finance.

(Cover photo: RCMP)