Man Faces $1m Fine in Cigarette Bust

Source from:  October 08, 2008 thespec.com The Hamilton Spectator 10/13/2008

An Ontario man is facing charges under the Excise Act and the possibility of a $1 million plus fine after RCMP customs and excise officers from Montreal and Hamilton seized 765 cases of unstamped cigarettes near Montreal. One case contains 10,000 cigarettes. Investigators intercepted a truck on Highway 20 west of Dorval near Montréal Friday afternoon. The investigation was conducted by Customs and Excise officers in Montreal and Hamilton. The Ontario suspect has not been named and the involvement of Hamilton customs and excise section officers not explained yet. Police said the cigarettes, representing a little more than 3,000 kilograms of fine cut tobacco, a tractor-trailer rig and $1,000 in cash were seized. An RCMP spokesman said in a statement today the seizure followed several weeks investigation of received intelligence. It is illegal to possess or sell tobacco products that are not packaged or stamped as required by Canadian law. Enditem