Two men pleaded guilty to offences under the Tobacco Tax Act in the Cornwall Court of Justice (Provincial Division) on December 18, 2008.

Mohamad Awada was charged with three offences by the ministry's Special Investigations Branch after the OPP stopped a transport truck trailer carrying vehicles on Highway 401 on September 26, 2007. OPP discovered 10,000 unmarked cigarettes and nearly 300,000 grams of other tobacco in one of the vehicles that was owned by Awada. Awada pleaded guilty and was fined $4,205 for possession of unmarked cigarettes and $40,000 for possession of other tobacco without proof of tax paid. He was also ordered to serve 12 months probation and perform 40 hours of community service. In addition, Awada must pay a $11,051 surcharge to the Victims Justice Fund.

Stephane Brunet was fined $50,000 for possession of unmarked cigarettes. Brunet was charged by the ministry's Special Investigations Branch after Cornwall Community Police Service stopped a vehicle on Brookdale Avenue in Cornwall on May 1, 2008 and found 800,000 unmarked cigarettes. Brunet must also serve 12 months probation, perform 75 hours of community service and pay a $12,500 surcharge to the Victims Justice Fund.

In both cases the cigarettes and tobacco were seized and later 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, jail provisions, civil penalties and provisions that permit the ministry 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.