Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service traffic stop leads to RCMP seizure of 300,000 cigarettes

CORNWALL, ON, Aug. 15 – A 22 year old Cornwall, Ontario man is facing charges under the Excise Act 2001 for possession of a tobacco product not properly stamped following a vehicle stop in a commercial parking lot on Brookdale Avenue in Cornwall, Ontario.On August 14th, 2008, at 11:08 a.m., an officer from the Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service observed a 2003 Chevrolet pick-up truck failing to stop at a stop sign on Island Road in Akwesasne, Ontario. When the officer stopped the truck he found the truck to contain cardboard boxes of cigarettes. Members of the Cornwall RCMP Detachment assisted and seized 1,500 re-sealable bags of cigarettes which represents 300,000 cigarettes estimated to be valued at $33,000. The cigarettes are believed to have been manufactured in the United States. The truck, worth an estimated $8,900, was also seized. The driver is scheduled to appear at the Cornwall court on September 22nd, 2008, and faces an additional charge from the Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service for disobeying a stop sign.

“Many drivers in our communities are continuing to bring attention to themselves when they disobey the traffic laws,” said Sgt. Michael Harvey of the RCMP. “The motoring public need to watch out as these drivers’s put others at risk.”

For further information: Sgt. Michael Harvey, RCMP Cornwall Detachment, (613) 937-2831; Detective Sgt. Jerry Swamp, Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service, (613) 575-2340