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That’s not chump cheese.

A 50-year-old man has pleaded guilty to trying to smuggle about 3,990 kg of cheese into Canada from the United States at the Thousand Islands port of entry.

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tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Undeclared cheese costs would-be smuggler $30,000 fine Back to video

Haissam Azaar has five years to pay the fine levied in a Brockville court May 9.

When Azaar entered Canada on Jan. 10, 2018, he flagged for a secondary examination. During a search, officers discovered eight skids of cheese he hadn’t declared. He was arrested and charged with smuggling under section 159 of the Customs Act.

Darren Frank, St. Lawrence district director for the Canada Border Services Agency, said seizures like this show that border officers play a “vital role” in preventing risks to food safety in addition to protecting Canada’s economic security.

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