By paNOW Staff

RCMP target bootlegging in the North

Oct 20, 2017 | 2:00 PM

Three charges for bootlegging under the Alcohol and Gaming Regulation Act were recently laid in northern Saskatchewan. It was part of a two-day enforcement initiative on the roads around the La Ronge area targeting alcohol and traffic related offences.

“The amount of alcohol that was seized had an estimated value of $3,550 if it was sold to residents in the North,” Sgt. Josh Hallett, Acting Detachment Commander of the La Ronge Detachment, said.

There are two different charges for bootlegging that can reach fines up to $2,000 or six months in jail. One involves having excessive amounts of liquor for the purpose of re-sale and the other one is for canvassing, reserving or taking orders for the purchase or sale of alcohol. Hallett said officers have to determine what is a reasonable amount of alcohol before laying charges.

“In some instances, in Southend, we’ve had seizures of up to 16 1.75[L] bottles of alcohol being brought in,” Hallett said. “So, we have to be able to say that this person cannot reasonably consume that much liquor at one point in time.”

According to Hallett, bootlegging is more prevalent in northeastern Saskatchewan where there aren’t any liquor or cold beer and wine stores.

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“As of right now, our investigations are being intelligence led with calls from the community. More often than not, you can see a noticeable decrease in calls for service when our initiatives are successful,” he said.

The RCMP said it will be conducting similar initiatives in various northern communities throughout the year with the ultimate goal of disrupting the supply of alcohol intended for bootlegging.

panews@jpbg.ca

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