ST. ANDREWS, ON, Dec. 22 /CNW/ - A 23 year old male driver identified as
Stuart Davie from Cornwall, Ontario was charged under the Excise Act 2001 for
possession of a tobacco product not properly stamped. He was also charged for
failing to comply with a probation order. These charges are a result of a
traffic stop by the Ontario Provincial Police on Highway 138 near St. Andrews,
Ontario.
On December 18th, 2008, officers from the OPP stopped a 1996 Ford F150
pick-up truck on Highway 138 at a R.I.D.E. checkpoint. Officers detected an
odour of marihuana and observed cardboard boxes of contraband cigarettes
inside the truck. Officers also observed that the cargo area windows were
painted over to conceal the contraband cigarettes from the outside. Officers
from the Cornwall RCMP Detachment were contacted to assist.
The RCMP officers attended the scene, arrested the driver and seized the
truck along with 2,550 resealable bags of contraband cigarettes. Stuart Davie
was held in custody and will appear at the Cornwall court on December 23rd,
2008. He also was issued Highway Traffic Act tickets by the OPP officers for
misusing a licence plate and for altering the validation tag on the licence
plate.
"There are a variety of federal and provincial departments and agencies
that have roles and responsibilities related to tobacco", said Sgt. Michael
Harvey of the RCMP. "These organizations are responsible for health
objectives, regulatory regimes, taxation, enforcement and Aboriginal and
international relations. The combination of these responsibilities results in
layers of regulation, taxation, and multi-jurisdictional enforcement. No
single department or agency is solely responsible or can act alone".
For further information: Sgt. Michael Harvey, RCMP Cornwall Detachment,
(613) 937-2831
