Two men charged with possession of contraband tobacco following investigation by the Cornwall Regional Task Force

CORNWALL, ON, April 28, 2022 /CNW Telbec/ - A total of 29,400 cigars, 52.04kg of chewing tobacco, 4.95kg of dried cannabis and a 2004 Chevrolet Avalanche were seized following an investigation by the Cornwall Regional Task Force (CRTF). The joint task force includes the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and the Ontario Ministry of Finance.

The CRTF began their investigation on March 29, 2022, after a Chevrolet Avalanche was observed at the Cornwall port-of-entry and later backed up to a Cornwall residence where the contraband was unloaded from the vehicle. Police attended the residence, performed a search of the vehicle and found the contraband tobacco.

Two male individuals from Hogansburg, New York, were arrested as a result of this investigation. Kraig McGowan, 22 years old, and Chandler Gray, 24 years old, were released on an Undertaking and are scheduled to appear at Cornwall Court on May 17, 2022.

McGowan and Gray were charged on April 13, 2022 with the following offence:

• Possession of unstamped tobacco, contrary to Section 32(1) of the Excise Act (2001)

Law enforcement agencies work diligently to make our communities a safer place to live but your assistance in remaining vigilant and informing us of any suspicious activities will help us be even more effective. If you have any information related to drug importation, trafficking, or possession, or wish to report other criminality, you can contact local police, the RCMP Cornwall Detachment at 613-937-2800, the Ontario RCMP at 1-800-387-0020, the confidential CBSA Border Watch toll-free line at 1-888-502-9060 or anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), at any time.

Federal Policing is among the core activities of the RCMP and is carried out in every Province and Territory in Canada. The RCMP's Federal Policing mandate is to investigate drugs and organized crime, economic crime, and terrorist criminal activity, enforce Federal statutes, secure Canada's border, conduct international capacity building, liaison and peacekeeping and ensure the safety of major events, state officials, dignitaries and foreign missions.

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SOURCE Royal Canadian Mounted Police

Media Contact: RCMP O Division (Ontario), Communications & Media Relations, Email: [email protected]