A man from Cornwall has been fined $30,000 after being convicted of possessing unmarked cigarettes for the purpose of sale.

The Ministry of Revenue's Special Investigations Branch laid the charge against Paul Levac after the RCMP stopped a vehicle on November 27, 2007 and found 25,000 unmarked cigarettes - part of a joint forces operation investigating tobacco smuggling.

Levac pleaded guilty to the charge under the Tobacco Tax Act on April 30th. In addition to the fine, he must also pay a $7,500 surcharge to the Victims' Justice Fund.

The Government of Ontario has many enforcement measures to discourage the sale of contraband tobacco. The Tobacco Tax Act has been strengthened with new inspection and seizure powers, new offence provisions, increased fines and civil penalties, and provisions that permit tax investigators to share intelligence information with police and other agencies that enforce tobacco-related laws. Through steps taken in four of the last five Ontario Budgets, the government has strengthened enforcement against the illegal manufacture and sale of tobacco products.

In Ontario over the past two years, 52.1 million contraband cigarettes have been seized by Ministry investigators and inspectors.