Windsor Men Fined For Tobacco Tax Offences
25 June 2006 Two Windsor men have been fined more than $18,000 for possession of untaxed tobacco products.
Court heard that the untaxed tobacco products, consisting of 6,193 cigarettes and 4,800 grams of fine-cut tobacco, were seized from Royal Mini Mart on Wyandotte Street East in December 2005. The Tobacco Tax Act provides for automatic forfeiture of the seized tobacco products on conviction.
Justice of the Peace Elizabeth Neilson gave Fadi Nizam a year to pay his fines - $2,562 for possession of untaxed cigarettes and $2,098 for possession of untaxed fine-cut tobacco. In addition to the fines, Nizam - who pleaded guilty June 12 - must pay surcharges of $1,165 to the Ontario Victims' Justice Fund.
On May 4, Ali Nizam, also of Windsor, pleaded guilty in Leamington to charges of possessing 20,000 unmarked cigarettes, 12 kilograms of untaxed fine-cut tobacco and 250 cigars. Court heard that on August 30, 2005 ministry investigators and officers from the Leamington Police Service detained Nizam's vehicle on Talbot Street and discovered the contraband tobacco.
Justice of the Peace Maureen Ryan-Brode fined him $13,343 for his offences, gave him 180 days to pay and ordered the seized tobacco forfeited to the Crown. Nizam must also pay surcharges of $3,335 to the Victims' Justice Fund.
The Ontario government has a number of enforcement initiatives in place to discourage sales of contraband tobacco and other types of underground economic activity. In addition to seizures, forfeitures and fines, provincial tax laws provide jail terms for tax evasion and other serious offences.
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For more information visit www.fin.gov.on.ca
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For further information: Scott Blodgett, Ministry of Finance, (416) 325-0324
Source: newswire
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