Barrie police say they seized 66 cartons of unmarked cigarettes and laid impaired charges on an Oro-Medonte man after a traffic stop.
On Friday at 10:33 p.m., an officer stopped the vehicle on Ferndale Drive, south of Dunlop Street.
Police say the driver exhibited signs of impairment and then failed an alcohol screening device.
According to officers, the vehicle was searched and 66 cartons of unmarked cigarettes were found. They added that the cartons have a value of around $4,000.
"The 62-year-old male from Oro-Medonte Township was arrested for Drive over .80mgs and was transported to Barrie Police Headquarters for a breath test," police stated in a media release.
"Upon completion of the required testing, it was confirmed that the driver was not over the legal limit of .80mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood."
The accused was released from custody and charged with Operation while impaired – alcohol, Possess Unmarked Cigarettes and Transport Unmarked Cigarettes in Bulk – No Registration Certificate (the last two charges are contrary to the Tobacco Tax Act).
"The actual readings were below .80 - which is the legal limit - but based on the observations the officer made, there was still enough reasonable grounds to lay the impaired operation by alcohol charge," Peter Leon, a Barrie police spokesperson, told Barrie 360.
The accused is scheduled to appear in Barrie court in December.
Banner image - file photo - Barrie 360
