R.I.D.E. vehicle inspection leads to seizure of contraband cigarettes

(St. Andrews, Ontario - Monday December 22nd, 2008) – 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.