Police in Cornwall are joining forces to bring back a regional task force designed to crack down on contraband cigarettes smuggled into Canada from the United States.
The last time the region had an anti-smuggling task force, police say Cornwall was similar to the Wild West - bullets flew constantly and the former Cornwall mayor temporarily went into hiding because his life was threatened.
A task force to tackle the problem was assembled in 1993. It disbanded seven years later, partly because the federal government lowered tobacco taxes and the demand for smuggled smokes decreased.
Ten years later, the problem is once again rampant.
According to RCMP statistics, an average of 240,000 cartons of smuggled cigarettes cross into Canada through Cornwall each day.
- 103,250 cartons of cigarettes get smuggled into Canada by boat each day
- 137,500 cartons of cigarettes are brought over by car each day
Police say contraband smuggling hasn't been this lucrative in years. In 2001, there was only one contraband cigarette factory on the U.S. side of Akwesasne territory. Today, there are 10.
Smugglers have also moved onto residential and private property to get their goods into Canada.
The situation has led to confrontations between organized crime and land owners in Cornwall. Police say some residents are also reluctant to report smuggling out of fear of retribution.
Now, members of the RCMP, Ontario Provincial Police, Cornwall police and the Ministry of Revenue are teaming up to tackle the problem.
The task force will focus on seizures, intelligence and protecting the community.
Anyone who may have information about smuggling is asked to contact police at 613-937-2800 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.
With a report from CTV Ottawa's John Hua
