THUNDER BAY – Bootleggers, especially those targeting minors, have been put on notice by Thunder Bay Police and the LCBO.
The practice isn’t going to be tolerated.
Acting on recommendations made by the Seven Youth Inquest, officials from the two organizations teamed together on a recent investigation, arresting a 43-old woman and a 76-year-old man and charging them with unlawfully keeping and unlawfully selling liquor.
Staff Sgt. Ron Maki on Monday said an LCBO employee noticed the female suspect making repeated purchases of alcohol and realized something didn’t add up.
“It was the same individual going into the same LCBO outlet numerous times during the course of a one-month period, pretty much every day,” Maki said.
“The sales amounted to roughly $7,000 in a one-month period.”
The booze seized totalled about $400 in value, and included items such as Palm Bay slushie-style drinks and Molson Canadian Cold Shots, two alcohol purchases commonly associated with younger drinkers.
Police also seized about $1,400 in cash after executing a search warrant last Friday at a residence in the 200 block of Manitou Street.
Maki said bootlegging isn’t necessarily a common offence in Thunder Bay, but given the recommendations made in the coroner’s report, police are making an extra effort to crack down on the activity.
“I wouldn’t say it’s all that common an occurrence, but that said, the illegal sale of alcohol is an issue, especially with the youth in the community,” Maki said.
“Bootleggers target younger individuals and that’s always a concern because young persons have various issues with respect to alcohol.”
Maki pointed out that youths aged 16 to 25 represent about 13 per cent of the driving population, but 33 per cent of the fatalities on Canadian roads involving alcohol.
Thunder Bay has also experienced problems with so-called runners, who hang around near outlets that sell alcohol, and agree to purchase it for minors for a hefty fee.
Other bootleggers in the city can expect more crackdowns to come, Maki said, noting the inquest recommendations were directed at both the LCBO and Thunder Bay Police.
“(They) recommended that we work together in partnership to deal with the fact that alcohol was getting into the hands of minors in the city. This is one of the ways that we can do that.”
Alcohol played a role in several of the deaths investigated by the Ontario coroner, after seven Indigenous youths died between 2000 and 2011 while in Thunder Bay to complete their studies. Two more Indigenous teens died near local waterways in 2017.
The female suspect was initially released, but then arrested again after being spotted at the same LCBO on Aug. 24 and 25, in violation of a probation order. She was remanded into custody and faced a bail hearing on Monday.
The 76-year-old man was released with a promise to appear at a future court date.
Police, who were assisted in their investigation by an LCBO investigator based in Mississauga, have not named either suspect at this time.
None of the charges have been proven in court.
