Quebec Police Arrested Around A Dozen People For Selling Over $8M Of Illegal Alcohol
The alcohol was bought in Montreal then resold in Northern Quebec communities for much higher prices.
Quebec police are cracking down on illegal alcohol sales in the province.
In a news release issued February 16, the Sûreté du Québec announced that, in collaboration with the Nunavik Police Service, a series of arrests were made on Wednesday morning as part of "Projet PLUTONIUM."
This project aims to put an end to illegal alcohol selling and drug trafficking in 14 communities in Northern Quebec.
"Nearly a dozen people were arrested in the Montreal area and in Nunavik. They will face charges of fraud, receiving stolen goods, trafficking in prohibited substances and conspiracy, among others," police said.
The investigation that led to these arrests was conducted with the help of Revenu Québec, the Société des alcools du Québec (SAQ) and Canada Post inspectors.
Police said that individuals were buying alcohol in Montreal "then shipping it by mail and reselling it at high prices in Kativik communities, at prices approximately 8 to 12 times higher than the original purchase price."
Quebec police said that between 2016 and 2020, this network of individuals would have made over $8 million dollars reselling alcohol like this.
Alcohol wasn't the only thing police found during their searches.
"The series of 14 searches conducted in 2020 resulted in the seizure of, among other things, 180 bottles of liquor, cannabis in various forms, narcotics, contraband tobacco, and tasers, in addition to four vehicles as offence-related property and over $118,000," police said.
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.