Labrador police halt alcohol shipment to dry community

RCMP officers seized a shipment of booze destined for an Innucommunity on the north coast of Labrador that has banned alcohol.

Police in Happy Valley-Goose Bay said they received a tip Wednesday evening that alcohol was about to be flownto Natuashish, about 185 kilometres north.

Const. Peter Gosse said officers, under the authority of the Liquor Control Act, searched a commercial chartered airplane and seized 85 bottles of alcohol.

"There was a large number of bags consisting of suitcases, and tote bags and various different knapsacks," Gosse told CBC News, "and through the search, bags were opened and the liquor was located."

Gosse said the alcohol, which included both small and large bottles of liquor, was found in luggage believed to have belonged to some of the 15 passengers onboard the plane.

"Some [bottles] were wrapped in towels, others were wrapped in socks mixed in with clothing," he said.

Gosse said it's too early in the investigation to say who'll face charges. He said officers have to interview the passengers and figure out who owned which bags.

The ban, which makes it illegal to have or sell alcohol or to be intoxicated in the community,has been in place sinceFebruary 2008, when the community of about 725 people narrowly voted in a referendum to go dry.