Cheese Smuggling Into Canada to Avoid Duties Leads to Arrests
A present and a former officer with the Niagara Regional Police Service and an associate are in custody in Canada after an investigation of a cheese smuggling scheme, said Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Scott Heron, 39, Casey Langelaan, 48, and…
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Bernie Pollino, 44, all of Fort Erie, Ontario, were charged for smuggling goods, evasion of duties and related charges in Canada, following their Sept. 27 arrest. Heron, a member of the NRP, was suspended as the result of this investigation. At the time of the alleged violations, Langelaan was also a member of the NRP, but is no longer with the force. The allegations involve purchasing cases of cheese and other food items in the U.S. and transporting them into Canada without declaring the items or paying duty. Investigators said there was a significant financial gain to be made in the cheese smuggling due to the duty on cheese and dairy products imported from the U.S., which ranged from 250-400 percent. Investigators said $200,000 worth of cheese and other products were purchased and distributed for an estimated profit of over $165,000.