In a span of two days, Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, officers with the Western Alaska Alcohol and Narcotics Team, or WAANT, seized some 30 bottles of alcohol bound for dry villages in five separate incidents.
The bottles were seized from unnamed local air and freight carriers for flights bound for Tununak, Hooper Bay, Kongiginak and Kwethluck. All local option communities that have banned the sale and importation of alcohol.
Troopers report that 14 bottles of alcohol were seized in just one bust.
Two of the incidents were on flights bound for Kongiginak.
In all but two of the cases, the suspects have been identified.
Four cases have yet to have charges forwarded to the District Attorney’s office in Bethel.
Troopers say there was no extra push to stop alcohol importation into local option communities, instead citing an increase in air traffic.
Mark Arehart is a reporter with KYUK in Bethel.
