Cyclists victims of a hit-and-run in Hinchinbrooke
According to a report in the Journal Saint-François, two cyclists were badly injured when they were hit from behind by a motorist on Route 202 in Hinchinbrooke around 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 28. The driver fled the scene of the accident.
Both victims were transported to a hospital where they were treated for serious but not life-threatening injuries. Both cyclists were reported to have been wearing helmets, and the bicycles were equipped with reflectors and flashers. Route 202 was closed until around 1 a.m. while a reconstructionist analyzed the scene of the accident.
Speeders fined in the Haut-Saint-Laurent
Several drivers have been pulled over in recently in the region for speeding violations.
On Sept. 19, officers from the Sûreté du Québec’s MRC du Haut-Saint-Laurent station stopped a minor with a probationary licence for travelling in excess of 150 km/h in a 90 km/h zone on Route 202 in Hinchinbrooke. The young driver received a ticket for $958 and 14 demerit points.
A few days later, on Sept. 21, officers intercepted a motorist on Route 201 in Ormstown driving at 143 km/h in a 90 km/h zone. The driver was issued a ticket for $811 and 10 demerit points for the offence. Additionally, his driver’s licence was suspended for seven days.
On Sept. 24, around 1:10 p.m., officers stopped a 61-year-old motorcyclist from Franklin who was travelling on Route 209 in Saint-Chrysostome at 142 km/h in a 90 km/h zone. The man was fined $811 and 10 demerit points. His driver’s licence was also suspended for 30 days, as this was not his first serious speeding violation.
The next day, officers caught a 28-year-old man from Huntingdon driving on Route 138 in Godmanchester at 171 km/h in a 90 km/h zone. He was handed a ticket for $1,534 and 18 demerit points. His licence was also suspended for 30 days, since this was not his first offence.
Fraud charges laid in connection with criminal contraband tobacco network
The Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) announced on Sept. 29 that charges had been laid against 13 individuals at the Longueuil courthouse after a major contraband tobacco investigation called Project Butane.
The following people now face charges of fraud upon the governments of Canada and Quebec, contraband tobacco, possession of unstamped tobacco products, and conspiracy to move contraband tobacco and to possess unstamped tobacco products: Martin Bessette, Éric Landry, Alfred Binette, Serge Bourque, Étienne Demers, Kedryc Girouard-Fournier, Pierre Leblanc, Michel Savoie, Michel Frédéric Riendeau, Mathieu Dinnigan-Lanthier, Reynald Jacques, Christos Georgaros and Curtis Lewis Thompson.
According to the CBSA investigation, which began in 2018, the accused are believed to be part of a criminal organization that imported contraband tobacco in bulk. The evidence collected during the investigation established that the organization had brought in 88 loads of bulk tobacco between May 10, 2018, and May 27, 2019, amounting to an estimated $450 million in lost tobacco duties and taxes.
As part of this investigation, two loads of around 18,000 kg of bulk tobacco each were intercepted on Sept. 2, 2017, at the St-Bernard-de-Lacolle border crossing, and on May 27, 2019, at the Herdman crossing. In the first seizure, the bulk tobacco had been declared as a load of fruit, and in the second, it was concealed under a load of wood chips.
Additionally, on June 5, 2019, more than 100 CBSA officers, supported by the Sûreté du Québec and some municipal police forces, executed 26 search warrants in the Montérégie and Centre-du-Québec regions. The operation resulted in eight arrests and the collection of several pieces of evidence that allowed for these charges to be filed, including 38 cell phones and 12 computers.
The CBSA and its officers are very attentive to contraband tobacco, in particular with regard to large-scale contraband strategies in commercial vehicles. This type of activity harms Canada’s economy by encouraging the black market. All offenders are subject to sanctions and legal proceedings.