Editor’s Note: Thank you to a loyal reader for an important correction. Improved translations and recommendations for stories are always welcomed. For a link to the original French article, please see Opération Olios: Vaste frappe contre le tabac illégal impliquant la mafia.
From: The Siver Times
Crates of tobacco seized in the investigation called Olios.
Frederique Giguere
A network of smugglers of tobacco of which the goods were routed over more than 3000 km across Canada and the United States and that allowed the Italian mafia to put on the pockets was dismantled yesterday by the Sûreté du Québec.
A dozen strikes simultaneous were carried out at dawn yesterday in Montreal, on the North Shore and Ontario. It was the last step of the operation Olios, which began 18 months ago.
***
A journey of 3000 km
1 – Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes : A trucker takes to the road with a cargo legal.
2 – New York : The content of the trailer is delivered to the customer.
3 – North Carolina : We reload the trailer, but this time with contraband tobacco.
4 – Buffalo : a Few kilometers before arriving, the truck driver quebec exchange its trailer with that of a counterpart in ontario, which holds the status of an “accustomed” to the customs of Buffalo. The Québécois, who are more at risk of being questioned, crossing with a loaded trailer legally, while Ontario leads the tobacco on the canadian territory.
5 – Kahnawake : final Destination of the tobacco, where it will be prepared for the contraband market in a factory.
