RCMP seize illegal booze twice at boat launch in Tlicho community of Whati

photo courtesy of RCMP

RCMP in Whatì say they stopped over 100 bottles of liquor from entering the community, where alcohol is prohibited under the NWT Liquor Act.

On two separate occasions, police say they intercepted alcohol on route to the community.

Back on July 22, Whatì RCMP seized 54 mickie bottles of liquor.

On August 10 police seized an additional 50 mickie bottles of liquor.

The booze was seized at the boat launch in the community, Mounties stated.

They add charges are pending so they won’t identify the suspect, say where he is from or where the booze had been shipped from.

Police also haven’t said whether they were tipped off to either shipment.

“These seizures are significant for a small community of just under 500 people” states Sergeant Ken Beard, Acting RCMP South District Officer. “Substance abuse remains to be a top priority for the Whatì detachment. The illegal sale of alcohol is targeting their most vulnerable citizens, and this seizure helps in reducing the harm caused by illegal alcohol in the community.”

The investigation is still ongoing, and Whatì RCMP are hoping to lay charges under the NWT Liquor Control Act.

Earlier this month, MLA Tom Beaulieu called on the government to end bulk buying at the liquor store, particularly mickie bottles, the preferred choice of the territory’s bootleggers.

Anyone with information on illegal sales of alcohol is asked to call Whatì RCMP at 573-1111, contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 nwtnutips.com, (click on “submit a web tip”) or text: “nwtnutips” plus your message to 274637.

 

 

About the Author

John McFadden
John has been in the broadcast journalism industry since the 1980s. He has been a reporter in Yellowknife since 2012 and joined CKLB in January of 2018. John covers the crime and court beat as well as reporting on other areas including politics, business, entertainment and sports. He won seven national community newspaper awards while he was a journalist with Northern News Services Limited (NNSL). John worked in Ontario before coming North including stints as a TV sportscaster in Peterborough and senior news writer for CBC and CTV in downtown Toronto.