A tobacco smuggler from Trois-Rivières has been fined an astronomical amount of more than $1.1 million and will have to spend four months in prison after being found guilty of tobacco smuggling offences, Revenu Québec announced on Wednesday. .

The police investigation targeting Mario Marchand has established that the man frequently went to the Oka sector to stock up on illegal cigarettes.

The suspect was finally pinned on March 3, 2020. The searches carried out in his residence and his vehicle led to the seizure of nearly 200,000 contraband cigarettes.

His vehicle used to travel to Oka was also seized.

"The man also confirmed to investigators that he has been selling unidentified tobacco products in accordance with the Tobacco Tax Act since July 2017, at a minimum of 10 cases per month," Revenue Quebec said in a statement. a statement.

Mario Marchand would therefore have sold more than 3 million contraband cigarettes over a period of 32 months.

Le Trifluvien was found guilty of having sold, delivered or had in his possession tobacco intended for retail sale in Quebec and whose package was not identified in accordance with the Tobacco Tax Act, of having sold tobacco at a price lower than the sum of the taxes collectible within the framework of such a sale and having carried out the sale of tobacco without being the holder of the prescribed registration certificate.

Mario Marchand was fined $1,124,623, in addition to a four-month prison sentence. His driver's license was also suspended for four months.