Ottawa

Quebec man arrested with cigarette-packed U-Haul

A Quebec man is facing several charges after he packed more than furniture into a U-Haul: millions of allegedly illegal cigarettes.

Police found 296 cases with nearly 3 million illegal cigarettes

The van had 296 cases each holding 10,000 contraband cigarettes, police said. (Ontario Provincial Police)

A Quebec man is facing several charges after he packed more than furniture into a U-Haul: millions of allegedly illegal cigarettes.

An officer pulled over the 64-year-old on westbound Highway 401 near Napanee at about 12:45 p.m. Monday, Ontario Provincial Police wrote in a news release.

The van held 296 cases of 10,000 cigarettes each — almost three million cigarettes, allegedly breaking the province's rules about possessing untaxed cigarettes.

It also held several thousand dollars in cash.

Ontario Provincial Police say an officer pulled over a U-Haul truck on Monday, Jan. 14, that was holding 296 cases of illegal cigarettes. (Ontario Provincial Police)

The man was arrested and is set to appear in a Napanee courtroom Tuesday afternoon.

He's charged with two counts each of possession of contraband for the purpose of sale, transporting contraband and failing to comply with a probation order.

Police said the Ontario Ministry of Finance is involved because the man's also facing charges under the province's Tobacco Tax Act.