Puslinch Today

On Sunday June 2, 2019, at approximately 10:30 a.m., a Wellington County Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) officer stopped a pick-up truck on Maltby Road near Concession 7 in Aberfoyle. Police discovered that the driver was prohibited from operating a vehicle.

During the investigation, officers located and seized 14 cartons containing over 2500 unmarked cigarettes within the vehicle.

55-year-old Kenneth MUNN of the Township of Guelph-Eramosa has been charged with;

• Operate Motor Vehicle while Prohibited contrary to the Criminal Code.
• Possess Unmarked Cigarettes contrary to the Tobacco Tax Act (2 counts).
• Operate Motor Vehicle without Insurance contrary to the Compulsory Automobile Insurance Act.

The driver’s vehicle was impounded for 45 days as per statute. The accused is scheduled to appear in Guelph Provincial Court on July 5, 2019.

Illegal tobacco undermines public health and safety by:

• supporting organized crime
• giving people – especially young people – easier access to cigarettes
• taking millions of tax dollars away from public services, like education and health care
• creating a fire hazard – because some illegal cigarettes lack self-extinguishing features
• hurting local businesses that follow the law

Consequences of having illegal tobacco

If you’re convicted of possessing illegal tobacco, you may be fined three times the tax on the value of the illegal cigarettes you possess, plus:

• $100 if you have 200 unmarked cigarettes or fewer
• $250 if you have from 201 to 1,000 unmarked cigarettes
• $500 if you have from 1,001 to 10,000 unmarked cigarettes
• $500 to $10,000 if you have more than 10,000 unmarked cigarettes, and your car may be impounded

In addition, you may be sentenced to up to two years in jail if it’s not your first conviction for possessing illegal cigarettes, or if you have more than 10,000 illegal cigarettes.

If you see illegal tobacco being sold, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or leave an anonymous tip online.

If you’re buying cigarettes, make sure the pack has the yellow “ON Duty Paid Canada” stamp (unless you are exempt from paying tobacco tax).

More information on tobacco regulations can be found at:

https://www.ontario.ca/page/illegal-tobacco
https://www.fin.gov.on.ca/en/tax/tt/illegal.html