The Niagara Regional Police Service has taken the wraps off an investigation into an international "large scale" cheese smuggling ring allegedly involving past and present officers of the force.
The cross-border investigation has been going on since January involving investigators from the regional force, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's border enforcement security task force and Canada Border Services Agency.
Three men - Const. Scott Heron, 39, former Niagara regional police officer Casey Langelaan, 48, and Fort Erie resident Bernie Pollino, 44 - were arrested Thursday and "charged in regard to a large-scale smuggling scheme to distribute cheese products and other food items into Canada," said a statement issued by the regional police.
"The network involved the purchasing of cases of cheese and other food items and transporting these cases into Canada, without declaring the items or paying duty. Once the products arrived in the country, they were sorted and prepared for distribution to a variety of restaurants in Southern Ontario."
According to the release, more than $200,000 worth of cheese and other products were purchased and distributed for an estimated profit of more than $165,000.
Charges against Heron, Langelaan and Pollino include conspiracy to commit the indictable offence of smuggling goods under the Criminal Code and Customs Act offences of breach of trust, false or deceptive statements, and keeping, acquiring or disposing of illegally imported goods.
Copyright 2012 Toronto Star Newspapers Limited
