Doug Ford's Ontario PC government announced the 2025 Budget on Thursday, including a plan to clamp down on the "contraband" cheap smokes widely available across the province. "The government is committed to addressing contraband tobacco and ensuring that those who seek to benefit from this illicit trade face stronger consequences," reads the Budget. The province says it will be "renewing and strengthening the Ministry of Finance's partnership with the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) for the Contraband Tobacco Enforcement Team (CTET)," calling the move "an important lever in tackling the links between contraband tobacco and organized crime." "The government is continuing to invest in CTET, further integrate the ministry's investigations team and OPP resources, and focus on the intersection points between contraband tobacco and other illegal commodities." The statement alleges that "Ontario's contraband tobacco market is controlled by, and funds organized crime," adding that "criminal groups involved in contraband tobacco use profits generated from the contraband tobacco trade to fund other illegal activities, including guns and drug trafficking."