Police find $5-million in contraband tobacco during Hwy 401 stop
Posted Jul 25, 2018 03:59:00 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Ontario Provincial Police in Leeds County have uncovered more than 33,000 lbs of illegal tobacco travelling up Hwy 401.
Officers stopped an eastbound tractor trailer in the Township of Leeds and the Thousand Islands on July 19 around 4 p.m. and deemed the truck unsafe for travel.
Further investigation then revealed the driver was hauling in excess of 33,000 lbs of contraband tobacco, with an estimated tax evasion value of $5-million.
Inderjeet Singh Pabla, 25, of Brampton was charged with transporting unstamped tobacco.
He is scheduled to appear at the Ontario Court of Justice in Brockville on August 24.
The investigation is ongoing with the assistance of the OPP Contraband Tobacco Enforcement Team and the Ministry of Finance.
Anyone with any information regarding this or any other incident contact Leeds County OPP at (613) 345-1790 or 1-888-310-1122 or their nearest police authority. If you wish to remain anonymous, you can call Crime Stoppers at 1800-222-8477 (TIPS).
