Bootlegging charges laid against three people near Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation

Two men and one woman from the Pelican Narrows area have been charged with bootlegging after the truck they were in was found to have several bottles of alcohol in it.

On May 21, the COVID-19 security checkstop to the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation received information that a known bootlegger was expected to be bringing alcohol into the community.

The checkstop was the only entrance to the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation and the RCMP were notified the vehicle would be stopped and searched by the community safety officers and Peter Ballantyne security.

A search of the truck found several bottles of alcohol, including:

• 6 bottles of 1.75 litre of whiskey
• 25 bottles of 375 ml of whiskey
• 1 bottle of 750 ml of vodka
• 1 bottle of 750 m of whiskey
• 26 bottles of 500 ml mix of water and whiskey

In a release the RCMP said the leadership of the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation has determined that the illegal distribution of alcohol is a serious health risk within the community during the current public health order and a priority for the security patrols to assist in reducing legal alcohol in the community.

On May 21, three people in La Loche were charged with bootlegging, and on April 17, a man in Pelican Narrows faced a bootlegging charge after a search warrant was executed at a home there.