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Montreal police arrest 17 in tobacco ring
MONTREAL, (UPI) -- Canadian police said they arrested 17 suspects in a ring selling contraband cigars and cigarillos.
Police conducted 52 raids Wednesday in Montreal and several other locations and exposed a group that allegedly has criminally bypassed Quebec tax laws covering cigars and cigarillos, the Montreal Gazette reported.
Two rings, working together, exploited the more-relaxed labeling requirements on the products and have made large profits illegally, Montreal Police Cmdr. Yves Miron, said.
The suspects diverted approximately $5.2 million a year of tobacco taxes from the Quebec government, Miron said.
The tobacco products were being sold at full retail price, apparently for several years, Miron said.
The suspects face charges including fraud exceeding $5,000, conspiracy and possession of counterfeit tobacco stamps, the Gazette said.
Inspector Bernard Lamothe of Montreal's organized crime unit said the raids are the first police crackdown on contraband cigarillos or cigars in Montreal history. He said the operation didn't connect the suspects with conventional organized crime groups.
MONTREAL, (UPI) -- Canadian police said they arrested 17 suspects in a ring selling contraband cigars and cigarillos.
Police conducted 52 raids Wednesday in Montreal and several other locations and exposed a group that allegedly has criminally bypassed Quebec tax laws covering cigars and cigarillos, the Montreal Gazette reported.
Two rings, working together, exploited the more-relaxed labeling requirements on the products and have made large profits illegally, Montreal Police Cmdr. Yves Miron, said.
The suspects diverted approximately $5.2 million a year of tobacco taxes from the Quebec government, Miron said.
The tobacco products were being sold at full retail price, apparently for several years, Miron said.
The suspects face charges including fraud exceeding $5,000, conspiracy and possession of counterfeit tobacco stamps, the Gazette said.
Inspector Bernard Lamothe of Montreal's organized crime unit said the raids are the first police crackdown on contraband cigarillos or cigars in Montreal history. He said the operation didn't connect the suspects with conventional organized crime groups.