Police seize 9.1 million illegal cigarettes from truck on Burlington, Ont. highway
A 60-year-old Toronto man was charged with trafficking in contraband tobacco, OPP say
Millions of illegal cigarettes were seized from a transport truck on a Burlington, Ont. highway earlier this week, police say,
A 60-year-old Toronto man was charged with trafficking in contraband tobacco worth millions of dollars, Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Sgt. Kerry Schmidt told CBC Hamilton.
Burlington OPP officers found 9.1 million cigarettes in the truck, making the case "one of the biggest we've been involved in," Schmidt said.
9.1 million illegal cigarettes seized after an investigation by <a href="https://twitter.com/ONfinance?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ONfinance</a> <br>20 Nov, '23 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BurlingtonOPP?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BurlingtonOPP</a> assisted by stopping the transport truck on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Hwy407?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Hwy407</a>/Bronte. 60-year-old man from Toronto charged with - Trafficking in contraband tobacco. ^ks <a href="https://t.co/OedUisMZmL">pic.twitter.com/OedUisMZmL</a>
—@OPP_HSDThe truck was stopped Monday on Highway 407 near the Bronte Road exit following a Ministry of Finance investigation.
When reached for comment, ministry spokesperson Scott Blodgett said it does not comment on current or ongoing investigations.
The ministry's website says finance inspectors conduct tobacco inspections to check for untaxed products.
"The ministry is committed to ensuring compliance through enforcement programs such as these, as tax evasion puts honest business operators at a competitive disadvantage," the website says.