By Nigel Maxwell

Bootleggers busted in northeast Saskatchewan

Nov 21, 2017 | 7:00 AM

Seven people are facing bootlegging related charges following a two-day traffic blitz by the RCMP in the Creighton area.

On Nov. 18 and 19, police officers from Prince Albert, Sandy Bay and Pelican Narrows detachments, along with officers from the Ministry of Environment, conducted check-stops targeting alcohol and traffic-related offences.

Sgt. Conrad Logan with the Sandy Bay detachment said alcohol is a big problem in his community. He said people will go to a bigger centre like Prince Albert, purchase alcohol like rye and whisky, then bring it back to the community.

“…They will pour out two or three ounces from a 500 ml. bottle of water, then they top it up with the spirit and they re-sell it for approximately $20 a bottle,” Logan said.

Over the course of the two days, 300 to 400 vehicles were checked. A significant amount of alcohol, with an estimated re-sale value of over $13,000 was seized.

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“One individual I talked to tried to tell me that she was going to drink four 66 oz bottles of rye whisky herself over the two or three days,” he said. “What reasonable person would not have an issue with that?” 

Logan said the police considered the two-day initiative to be a success, as they did see a decrease in the number of alcohol related offenses specifically in Deschambault Lake.

Logan also admited the RCMP know they did not get to all the guilty parties.

“We do hope this sends a message to those individuals living in those communities that [bootlegging] is not acceptable and the law needs to be followed,” he said.

The RCMP will be conducting similar initiatives in various northern communities throughout the year.

nigel.maxwell@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell