More illegal tobacco has been removed from the streets of Nova Scotia as a result of a joint investigation by Service Nova Scotia, RCMP and the Pictou County Integrated Street Crime Enforcement Unit.
On May 27, about 5,000 cigarettes were seized in Abercrombie and Stellarton, along with $2,300 in cash generated from the sale of illegal tobacco.
Sixty-two-year-old Lloyd Cornett, of Stellarton, has been charged with the illegal possession of unstamped tobacco, the illegal possession of tobacco that taxes have not been paid on and the illegal transportation of tobacco. He will appear in court in Pictou on July 20 to enter a plea.
“I want to thank the staff at Service Nova Scotia and our law enforcement partners for their work on this investigation,” said Service Nova Scotia Minister Mark Furey. “Seizures of this nature are made possible as a result of this ongoing work. Over the past ten years, more than 237,000 cartons of illegal cigarettes have been seized.
“We will continue to work with RCMP, Crime Stoppers and municipal police forces to eliminate the illegal tobacco industry in Nova Scotia through education and enforcement.”
“Inter-agency co-operation and the sharing of information is key to fighting crime,” added RCMP Cpl. Dave Lilly.
The charges have been laid under the provincial Revenue Act and the federal Excise Act.
Service Nova Scotia was the lead agency in the investigation, and through its Audit and Enforcement division of the Alcohol, Gaming, Fuel and Tobacco Branch, is responsible for eliminating illegal tobacco in Nova Scotia. Since 2006-07, the amount of illegal tobacco in the province has dramatically decreased.
Source: Release