150 bottles of alcohol seized in Yukon Delta region bootlegging arrests

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - Six people have been arrested for their roles in importing illegal alcohol to dry or “damp” villages in the Yukon Delta region of Alaska, according to the Department of Public Safety.

According to Lieutenant Nick Zito with the Alaska State Troopers, Village Public Safety officers based in Emmonak and community members recently voiced concern regarding alcohol and crime in the area, prompting an investigation into substance imports and use in Emmonak and the surrounding area.

“...alcohol oftentimes brings tragedy to these smaller communities, or is at least a factor in some...” Zito said. “Troopers obviously knew of some issues there, and so they worked together to come up with a collaborative kind of solution to try to stymie some of the flow of alcohol into the community.”

Zito explained the rules surrounding alcohol possession and sales in some portions of Western Alaska are typically based on a community vote.

Some villages like Alakanuk, Kotlik and Scammon Bay are entirely dry communities where the sale, possession and consumption of alcohol are outlawed, but others are local option or “damp” communities. Areas with a damp designation enforce limits on alcoholic beverages carried into the community, and the State of Alaska enforces limits on alcoholic beverages purchased by mail from package stores.

“It seemed like there was an uptick in assaults, uptick in other types of crimes in the community,” Zito said.

Zito said leading up to the arrests, the village of Emmonak identified several large alcohol shipments entering the area from out of state. He said prior to any investigation, there were signs of a problem within the community.

“Specifically, in this case, most of it was distilled spirits, so in excess of the [legal limit of] 10.5 liters.”

Along with an excess amount of alcohol, Zito said the illegal alcohol shipments were missing a required itemized invoice and specific markings for alcohol, thereby violating certain importation laws and transportation by common carrier laws.

The 150 bottles of alcohol confiscated by authorities have an estimated worth of $52,000, according to DPS.

Zito noted that spirits often known in legal alcohol possession areas as “lower quality” are still of high value when sold in damp areas.

“We’ll see that you can get relatively cheap in town, $10 a bottle or so, and out here they’ll generally go - depending on which community - anywhere from $200-$400 a bottle, which is a pretty significant cost.”

After the seizure of the alcohol and subsequent arrests, Zito said officers have had a positive response from community members.

“They have already seen a definite decline in the number of intoxicated people wandering around the village and incidents within the village,” Zito said. “They’ve had several elders...community elders that are respected, who come up and thank them for the efforts.”

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