Agents for the Comptroller’s Field Enforcement Division, along with the Kent County Sherriff’s Office, seized 7000 packs of contraband cigarettes worth $42,000 and arrested two people for allegedly smuggling contraband cigarettes during a traffic stop on Route 301 in Kent County on September 21.
“I’d like to thank Corporal Harry Kettner and Sheriff John F. Price of the Kent County Sheriff’s Office for helping my agents continue the fight against cigarette smuggling in Maryland,” said Comptroller Peter Franchot. “As soon as Corporal Kettner realized this wasn’t a routine traffic stop, his office contacted my agency’s Field Enforcement Division and agents were immediately dispatched to assist with the investigation. Every smuggler caught is one more opportunity to crack down on illegal activity and I applaud the agencies involved for helping to aggressively uphold and enforce Maryland’s tax laws.
Released from Office of Communications
Comptroller of Maryland
Keith Thompson says
Seems to me that the most effective method of ending the scourge of cigarette smuggling would be to reduce the taxes on cigarettes.
joe diamond says
These are sin taxes you are messing with. This is the state taking from those who deserve it; sinners. They tax booze for the same reason. Politicians get elected getting tough on this stuff.
There are many substances that are allowed that are known to be dangerous. They are still allowed because they can be taxed even though they are dangerous in their intended use dosage. Prohibition has been tried. Taxes work like that.
And it is the taxes in NY that make the run from the south profitable.
My questions would be……what are local cops doing out on 301 enforcing speed laws in MD State Police hunting grounds? Having discovered the illegal cigaretts why call yet another agency? Could they not just confiscate the car, arrest the driver and sell off the cigarretts? If this had been pot they could have had Federal reward money…another story.
Mike Boehmer says
Until Maryland 301 is not their jurisdiction they will run traffic there. Plain and simple…My question is, Why is it not ok to have multiple agencies attempting to stop illeagal trafficing of illeagal substances?
joe diamond says
It is the multiple agency idea that gets my attention. The duplication of administrations is expensive. In a world where the DOT, MD State Police, Comptroller of the MD Treasury, several county PDs and sheriff offices are out there it just gets to be a lot of enforcement activity. Someone has to pay for all that manpower.
Go into Washington D.C. and that list is much longer. Try getting on an airplane these days to feel what a true police state can be. As you drive to a different state the laws and their enforcement changes. Drive in Tennessee and you will meet Homeland Security and the TSA on highways. Drive within one hundred miles of a border and the INS will take an interest.
I think the question is how much illegal activity can the republic stand before the search for violations of the ever increasing number of laws just removes the rights of citizens to be private in their personal lives.
Joe