BORDER
Millions in tobacco seized at area bridges
A total of $3.4 million in loose tobacco has been seized by Canada Border Services Agency officers in two separate seizures at the Lewiston-Queenston and the Peace Bridge in Fort Erie.
On Jan. 16, a transport driver arrived at the Lewiston-Queenston bridge with a shipment containing 132 boxes that were declared as recycled paper. During a secondary examination, officers noticed that labels may have been removed from each box and replaced by other labels.
The boxes were found to contain $1.7 million worth of manufactured raw cut tobacco.
On the same day, a driver transporting a sea container was referred for secondary examination at the Peace Bridge. The goods were declared as herbal leaf formulation, but were found to be 99 boxes of loose tobacco with an estimated value of $1.7 million.
No charges have been laid. Investigation continues in both seizures.
Niagara Falls
• THEFT: Officers are looking into a theft from a convenience store in the 1500 block of Main Street. A clerk told police that a man entered the store at 9:19 p.m. Tuesday and then took an 18-pack of Molson Canadian beer. The suspect ran from the store, heading south on Main Street.
• ARREST: A Falls man was arrested after a domestic incident in the 8500 block of Niagara Falls Boulevard at 5:38 a.m. Wednesday. Samuel Edward Neal, 24, 243 72nd St., was charged with third-degree assault, second-degree harassment and endangering the welfare of a child.
• ARREST: A Falls man was arrested in connection with the theft of auto parts from a Highland Avenue repair shop. Romond Maurice Lamar, 29, 1003 Cleveland Ave., was charged with third-degree criminal trespass and fourth-degree grand larceny. Lamar is accused of taking multiple car doors and a truck tailgate from the shop in the 3200 block of Highland Avenue between November and 4 a.m. Wednesday. The parts were recovered Wednesday afternoon at a nearby scrap yard.
• BURGLARY: Police are investigating a burglary in the 600 block of 91st Street. A 43-year-old woman told officers that sometime between 8 pm Monday and 3 p.m. Tuesday someone broke into her home by forcing open a side door. The victim said a laptop computer was taken.
• BURGLARY: Officers are looking into a burglary on C Street. A 38-year-old man told police that sometime between Jan. 16 and 3 p.m. Wednesday someone broke into the vacant house that he owns by unknown means. The victim said a large quantity of copper pipe and electrical wire was taken from the house.
City of Lockport
• CULTIVATION: Joseph R. Lane, 27, 382 Pine St., was charged on a warrant Thursday with growing cannabis. In March, the Niagara County Drug Task Force obtained a warrant to search Lane’s property and found several marijuana plants being grown in the attic. A warrant for Lane’s arrest was issued by the county only last week, according to Lockport police. Lane turned himself in at police headquarters, was arraigned in City Court and was released on his own recognizance pending a Jan. 30 pre-trial conference.
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