A man from Cornwall has received two three-month jail terms for possessing unmarked cigarettes for the purpose of sale.

The Ministry of Revenue's Special Investigations Branch charged Leonard John Pennie after he was found to be in possession of contraband tobacco on two separate occasions. Akwesasne Police found 350,000 unmarked cigarettes in Pennies vehicle on March 9, 2007. The Ontario Provincial Police discovered 370,000 unmarked cigarettes on August 23, 2007. In both cases, the cigarettes were seized and later forfeited to the Province.

Pennie pleaded guilty to both charges under the Tobacco Tax Act on August 7, 2008.

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, approximately 58.1 million contraband cigarettes have been seized by ministry investigators and inspectors.