OPP Arrested A Man Who Allegedly Smuggled Over 370K Contraband Cigarettes To Ottawa

An Ottawa man is now facing charges in connection with trafficking hundreds of thousands of unstamped cigarettes to the country.

The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Contraband Tobacco Enforcement Team (CTET), including investigators from the Ministry of Finance, started the investigation this past May, according to a recently published press release.

On Wednesday, August 10, the CTET and the east division of the OPP Organized Crime Enforcement Bureau issued five search warrants across Ottawa, which included someone's house.

Following that, officers found over 370,000 unstamped cigarettes, over 500 kilos of unstamped shisha tobacco, and an undisclosed amount of Canadian cash.

As a result, an unidentified 65-year-old man from Ottawa was arrested, and is now facing a variety of charges including trafficking unstamped tobacco, possession of unmarked cigarettes, and possession of other tobacco products.

He was released from custody and is expected to appear in court on October 12.

As per the Criminal Code, nobody in the country is allowed to sell, deliver, or distribute any tobacco-related products that aren't packaged, unless it is stamped.

Anyone who is found guilty of doing so could serve a jail sentence of up to five years if they were found with more than 10,000 cigarettes or 10 kilos of any other tobacco product or more on them.

Under the Tobacco Tax Act in Ontario, anyone who is charged and convicted of having boxes of cigarettes or fine cut tobacco without the "legal ON DUTY PAID CANADA DROIT ACQUITTÉ" tobacco stamp could be fined three times the amount of the regular tax. Plus, depending on how many unmarked cigarettes are caught in their possession, convicted persons could face a fine of up to $10,000.

This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.