MONTREAL -- Ten people have been sentenced to fines totalling more than $2 million for offences related to contraband tobacco, according to Revenu Quebec.
The fines total $2,372,552.70, and two offenders were also sentenced to prison terms.
The offenders, nine men and one woman aged 28 to 79, were accused of having sold, delivered or possessed tobacco intended for retail sale in Quebec without proper packaging, and to have transported tobacco intended for sale whose packet was not identified in accordance with the law, or not registered with Revenu Quebec.
A 68-year-old man from Victoriaville was fined $ 1,114,800 and sentenced to eight months in prison, after the provincial police conducted searches of two residences in November 2018.
Officers seized 5,976 cigarettes and it was determined that the offender - a repeat offender - had sold 1,440,000 cigarettes in the course of his illegal activities.
A 72-year-old man from Saguenay was intercepted by police on May 11, 2019, and officers seized 47,400 cigarettes. He was sentenced to six months in jail, fined $41,313 and had his driver's licence suspended for six months.
-- this report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 20, 2021.
