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Cigarette ring nets cops huge haul (Freep Poll)
ottawa sun.com ^ | April 28, 2006 | JON WILLING

Posted on 04/28/2006 9:59:03 AM PDT by SheLion

435 cases of smokes, more than $1.3 million in cash, property seized in raids.

Hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of property, cash and contraband cigarettes have been seized as a result of raids this week across Western Quebec and Eastern Ontario.

At a press conference at the Quebec provincial police Gatineau detachment, investigators today provided more detail about Project Bleutte, which was first announced Thursday after raids were conducted throughout the region.

Police said today the raids netted 435 cases of contraband cigarettes and they seized: 37 vehicles allegedly used for smuggling and distribution of the smokes, $600,000 in real estate, about $700,000 in cash and nine firearms.

More than 200 cops with six forces in Quebec and Ontario were involved in the busts, one year after police first received a tip about the scheme. Quebec provincial police spokeswoman Melanie Larouche said 25 suspects have been arrested so far.

Quebec provincial police opened a probe when investigators with the MRC des Collines force asked for assistance looking into a tip. Investigators discovered that cigarettes were being transported from Akwesasne and distributed in Ontario and the Outaouais. The ring is alleged to have brought U.S. cigarettes into Canada through the Cornwall Islands and Akwesasne.

The probe hit its climax yesterday morning when Quebec provincial police were joined in raids by 250 officers with the Gatineau, MRC des Collines, Montreal, Ottawa, OPP and RCMP forces.

The first residences were targeted around 5 a.m. and police continued to work throughout the day.

Forty-five residences in total, including about 10 in the Ottawa area, were part of the investigation.

In addition to a few hundred cases of cigarettes, police have seized about 60 cars and recreational vehicles. Early estimates of the seized property totalled over $1 million.

GATINEAU TARGETED

The Ontario searches focused on residences in Ottawa, Embrun, Vars, Limoges and Hawkesbury, while investigations on the Quebec side targeted Gatineau, Thurso, Lavaltrie, Cantley, Ripon, Buckingham, Masson-Angers, Grenville, Chelsea and Repentigny.

Quebec provincial police and the RCMP have been busy clamping down on contraband cigarettes this year.

Last February, provincial police nabbed 12 Pontiac residents related to possessing and distributing the illegal smokes. RCMP officers in the Cornwall area have also caught people with contraband tobacco from Akwesasne. The last week of February brought a series of seizures around Cornwall, with RCMP officers seizing thousands of dollars worth of cigarettes.


TOPICS: Canada; Culture/Society; Government
KEYWORDS: anti; antismokers; augusta; bans; budget; butts; camel; caribou; chicago; cigar; cigarettes; cigarettetax; commerce; contraband; epa; fda; governor; individual; interstate; kool; lawmakers; lewiston; liberty; maine; mainesmokers; marlboro; msa; niconazis; osha; pallmall; pipe; portland; prosmoker; pufflist; quitsmoking; regulation; rico; rights; rinos; ryo; sales; senate; smokers; smoking; smokingbans; taxes; tobacco; winston
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There is a poll top right side.
1 posted on 04/28/2006 9:59:14 AM PDT by SheLion
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To: The Foolkiller; Just another Joe; Madame Dufarge; Cantiloper; metesky; Judith Anne; lockjaw02; ...

2 posted on 04/28/2006 10:00:56 AM PDT by SheLion (Trying to make a life in the BLUE state of Maine!)
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To: SheLion

Glad to see they're going after the important criminals.........


3 posted on 04/28/2006 10:01:29 AM PDT by Red Badger (In warfare there are no constant conditions. --- The Art of War by SunTzu)
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To: SheLion
The probe hit its climax.

Then, everybody lit up a smoke.
4 posted on 04/28/2006 10:03:07 AM PDT by ButThreeLeftsDo (Carry Daily, Apply Sparingly.)
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To: SheLion

Note: cigarettes are legal in Canada so this could not have happened.


5 posted on 04/28/2006 10:04:23 AM PDT by AppyPappy (If you aren't part of the solution, there is good money to be made prolonging the problem.)
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To: SheLion

Cigarettes are illegal but marijuana is legal. Marriage is no good for heterosexuals, but fine for gays. Free health care is wonderful, even though you can't get it.




Seems logical.


6 posted on 04/28/2006 10:04:28 AM PDT by Brilliant
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To: fanfan

Ping. Your tax Dollars at work.


7 posted on 04/28/2006 10:04:28 AM PDT by Springman
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To: ButThreeLeftsDo
The probe hit its climax.

Then, everybody lit up a smoke.

LOL.

8 posted on 04/28/2006 10:10:30 AM PDT by DumpsterDiver
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To: SheLion

I actually had to vote, "No," on that poll. Buying contraband items is against the law.
Growing my own tobacco, however, is not.


9 posted on 04/28/2006 10:15:02 AM PDT by RandallFlagg (Roll your own cigarettes! You'll save $$$ and smoke less!(Magnetic bumper stickers-click my name)
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To: SheLion

Cigarette ring? Is that anything like a cigar band?


10 posted on 04/28/2006 10:23:15 AM PDT by P8riot
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To: SheLion; Springman; GMMAC; Pikamax; Former Proud Canadian; Great Dane; Alberta's Child; ...
Thanks for the pings, She Lion and Springman

Freep a poll!

Image hosting by Photobucket

11 posted on 04/28/2006 10:24:41 AM PDT by fanfan (FR is the best/biggest news gathering entity in the whole known history of the world. Thanks Jim.)
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To: ButThreeLeftsDo

LOL!


12 posted on 04/28/2006 10:34:48 AM PDT by KDD (A wink is as good as a nod to a blind horse.)
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To: AppyPappy
Note: cigarettes are legal in Canada so this could not have happened.

Take it up with the Ottawa Sun.com

Or email the author of the piece.

email

13 posted on 04/28/2006 10:34:50 AM PDT by SheLion (Trying to make a life in the BLUE state of Maine!)
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To: fanfan; Springman
Thanks for the pings, She Lion and Springman

You bet!

14 posted on 04/28/2006 10:37:00 AM PDT by SheLion (Trying to make a life in the BLUE state of Maine!)
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To: SheLion

$600,000 in real estate. That's quite a haul.


15 posted on 04/28/2006 10:37:23 AM PDT by Flavius Josephus (Nationalism is not a crime.)
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To: Flavius Josephus
$600,000 in real estate. That's quite a haul.

I figured there was money in it, but it's on the wrong side of the law. 

16 posted on 04/28/2006 10:39:39 AM PDT by SheLion (Trying to make a life in the BLUE state of Maine!)
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To: fanfan

Your welcome.


17 posted on 04/28/2006 10:53:52 AM PDT by Springman
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To: SheLion; fanfan
Results ... if one can call such limited numbers that ... as of 1:50 EDST:

Would you buy contraband cigarettes to save money?
Yes. 68%
No. 32%
Total Votes for this Question: 1267

BTW & not that anyone asked me but ...
I'll begin taking the whole notion of taxing known "health hazards" seriously once I see similar onerous taxes levied against gay bath houses, etc. and on whatever establishments the morbidly obese frequent.
18 posted on 04/28/2006 11:04:21 AM PDT by GMMAC (Discover Canada governed by Conservatives: www.CanadianAlly.com)
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To: RandallFlagg
Running contraband is our heritage up in our neck of the woods.
19 posted on 04/28/2006 11:11:03 AM PDT by metesky ("Brethren, leave us go amongst them." Rev. Capt. Samuel Johnston Clayton - Ward Bond- The Searchers)
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To: fanfan
Akwesasne? So this cigarette ring has been brought to you by the St. Regis Indian tribe? If that's the case, why doesn't the article mention it?

I think that members of certain Indian tribes get the right to bypass customs checks at the border by treaty. That makes their reservations ripe for smuggling stuff from the U.S. to Canada and vice versa.
20 posted on 04/28/2006 11:13:14 AM PDT by conservative in nyc
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