CARDINAL, Ontario – On the evening of March 26, 2019, members of the Cornwall Regional Task Force (CRTF) were conducting patrols along the HWY 401 corridor in Eastern ON. At approx. 10 p.m., officers conducted a traffic stop of a Westbound tractor trailer near Exit 730 in Cardinal, ON. An inspection of the vehicle, under the Excise Act (2001), located a massive quantity of unstamped cigarettes located in the trailer.
The driver, Gilles Beauregard, 62, of Saint-Lin-Laurentides, QC was arrested and charged under the Excise Act (2001) for Possession of Unstamped Tobacco. Further investigation revealed that Beauregard was also at large on a Warrant of Arrest from RCMP arising from a similar incident in Sept. 2013 where he was found to be in possession of 14,720 kgs of raw leaf tobacco. Those charges are still before the court.
Beauregard was held in custody pending his bail hearing the following day. His next court appearance is scheduled for April 5, 2019.
“I wish to recognize the hard work and perseverance of the CRTF investigators involved in this case,” stated Insp. Sue Black, OIC Cornwall RCMP Detachment.“The valuable contribution of our law enforcement partners helped in preventing organized crime groups, operating in our communities, from profiting from this illegal commodity.”
The Excise Act (2001) empowers a Federal Law Enforcement officer “to stop, and inspect a conveyance in compliance with this Act. The officer may seize anything in relation to which the officer reasonably believes has contravened this Act”.
If you have any information regarding criminal activity in your area, you can contact the CRTF at 1-613-937-2800 or call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
