Stony Rapids business charged with illegally alcohol sales after traffic stop

A business in Stony Rapids is facing a charge of illegal sale of beverage alcohol after a traffic stop tipped off the RCMP.

(RCMP/Submitted)

According to police, officers were conducting check stops in the area on March 17 when they spotted beer inside a vehicle.

“Through investigation, they determined the occupants had illegally purchased beer at significantly inflated prices from an unauthorized seller,” the RCMP said in a statement.

Police later executed a search warrant at the business in Stony Rapids, where they seized 640 cans of beer and 24 bottles of hard liquor, along with 14 bottles and four boxes of wine.

The business ended up with the charge after the RCMP officers determined the business wasn’t licensed to sell the booze.

Cpl. Blair de Bruin of the RCMP said the patrol wasn’t looking for illegal alcohol, but followed up because unlicensed alcohol sale is a safety concern.

“Our primary focus is on ensuring the safety of our roads, but when we come across evidence of other unsafe behaviour or illegal activities, we investigate it thoroughly as you can see in this situation,” de Bruin said in a statement.

The RCMP did not name the business. 650 CKOM reached out to the RCMP for the name, but did not receive a response by the time of publication.