Arrests Made for Illegal Cigarette Possession

Six people have been arrested in three separate cases for possession of more than 300 cartons of illegal cigarettes they bought on the Seneca Indian reservations in Salamanca and Irving. None of the people are arrested are local. Two are from Rhode Island; two from New Jersey; and two from southwestern Pennsylvania. Authorities say all six were allegedly attempting to evade and defeat tax. They were also charged with possession of unstamped cigarettes. No one can possess large quantities of unstamped cigarettes unless authorized by New York State. The arrests are part of ongoing attempts by the tax department to cut down on the resale of illegal cigarettes.