An individual's dreams of making a quick profit off of unstamped tobacco have gone up in smoke. Now, the RCMP has seized the tobacco and his van, and he faces a steep fine if found guilty.
The RCMP have seized over one million unstamped cigarettes from a Mercedes van driven by Zachary Cordy along Highway 417.
After gathering sufficient grounds, the van was pulled over and searched by police under the Excise Act. In it, they found 110 boxes full of cigarettes. The driver was arrested and charged with the following offences:
Zachary Cordy (27yrs.) L'Île-Perrot, Québec
- Possession of Unstamped Tobacco contrary to Section 32(1) of the Excise Act 2001;
- Driving a motor vehicle with cannabis readily available contrary to Section 12(1) of the Cannabis Control Act;
- Driving a motor vehicle with no license contrary to Section 32(1) of the Ontario Highway Traffic Act;
As well Mr. Cordy is facing the following charges by the Ontario Ministry of Finance
- Possession of unmarked cigarettes for sale, contrary to Section 29(1) of the Tobacco Tax Act, and;
- Possession of unmarked cigarettes, contrary to Section 29(2) of the Tobacco Tax Act.
Court for Mr. Cordy is on June 18, 2024 at 9 am at the Cornwall Court house located at 29 Second Street West, Cornwall, Ontario to answer to the Excise Act charges; and on July 4, 2024 at 9 am at the L'Orignal Courthouse located at 36 Court Street in L'Orignal to answer to the Cannabis Control Act and Ontario Highway Traffic Act charges as well as the Tobacco Tax Act charges.
This arrest occurred as part of the Cornwall Regional Task Force (CRTF) collaboration with the CBSA in their investigation into the people, vehicles and properties used by criminals in the sale of unstamped tobacco contrary to the Excise Act. The maximum fine for selling unstamped cigarettes is close to $500,000.
"Thousands of tonnes of contraband tobacco are smuggled into Canada every year. The proceeds derived from the illegal sales of unstamped tobacco products fund further criminal activity and defraud all levels of government from millions of dollars in tax revenues. Our invaluable law enforcement partnerships with the OPP, CBSA and the Ontario Ministry of Finance allow us to more effectively target the individuals and groups benefitting from these criminal schemes. Together, we are dedicated to safe communities by curbing the flow of illegal goods coming over our borders." Inspector Etienne Thauvette, Officer-in-charge, Cornwall Detachment, Central Region Border Integrity, RCMP.
Fast Facts
The CRTF is a joint task force made up of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), and the Ontario Ministry of Finance. We work closely with our trusted US partners to combat crime on both sides of the border.
Law enforcement agencies work diligently to make our communities a safer place to live but your assistance in remaining vigilant and informing us of any suspicious activities will help us be even more effective. If you have any information related to smuggling, drug importation, trafficking, or possession, or wish to report other criminality, you can contact local police, the RCMP Cornwall Detachment at 613-937-2800, the Ontario RCMP at 1-800-387-0020, the confidential CBSA Border Watch toll-free line at 1-888-502-9060 or anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), at any time.
The RCMP's core values guide our daily activities. All employees are expected to live and model the values in their work. This collaboration shows our commitment to serving with excellence. We work collaboratively with communities and partners to provide and support innovative and professional policing services.