A shop owner in Etobicoke has been fined $2,500 after being convicted of possessing unmarked cigarettes for the purpose of sale.

The Ministry of Revenue's Special Investigations Branch laid the charge against Annan Sookram after Ministry inspectors discovered 9,000 unmarked cigarettes during a routine inspection at the Lucky Buck Plus Dollar Shop on July 13, 2007.

Sookram pleaded guilty to the charge under the Tobacco Tax Act on June 19th and he must also pay a $625 surcharge to the Victims' Justice Fund. In addition to the fines, all tobacco was forfeited to the Province.

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.