Fort McPherson RCMP say they have seized a total of 169 bottles of illicit liquor from several investigations into bootlegging activity in July.
Several charges were laid under the Liquor Act, but the police didn’t identify any offenders.
“These seizures represent a substantial amount of lost profits for bootleggers,” says RCMP media relation officer Cst. John Seaward in a Thursday news release. “The unlawful sale of alcohol continues to be an issue in Fort McPherson and other areas of the Northwest Territories.”
NWT communities can choose whether alcohol is allowed or if the quantity of alcohol will be restricted or unrestricted.
Fort McPherson is one of the alcohol-restricted communities, meaning that there are restrictions on the quantity and/or frequency of alcohol brought into the community, as well as on the quantity and hours of sale at a liquor store.
Residents in such communities may be asked to seek prior approval from a community alcohol education committee to bring in a limited amount of alcohol.
Other NWT communities that currently have restrictions on alcohol include Déline, Dettah, Fort Good Hope, Fort Liard, Fort McPherson, Paulatuk, Saamba Ke, Tuktoyaktuk, Tulita, and Uluhaktok.
Consumption, possession, purchase, sale or transport of liquor are prohibited in communities including Gamètì, Lutselk’e, Nahanni Butte, Wekweètì, Whatì and the K’atl’odeeche First Nation.
Seaward says the detachment is dedicated to addressing the issue of bootlegging and reducing the harm that these activities cause to the communities.
Residents with information about bootlegging or other crimes are asked to contact the Fort McPherson RCMP at 952-1111 or Crime Stopper at www.p3tips.com.
