Regina police probe half-million-dollar booze heist

Regina police are investigating the theft of nearly $500,000 worth of alcohol.

Regina police are investigating after nearly half a million dollars worth of alcohol was stolen from a truck in the city.

Police say the truck, which contained about 1,500 cases of hard liquor, was stolen from a trucking facility in Regina. Each case typically contains nine 750 millilitre bottles.

The theft happened on Nov. 30, and the truck was found empty and abandoned in the 500 block of Sixth Avenue East two days later.

Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority spokesperson David Morris says the alcohol was being shipped from an Ontario distillery to the SLGA warehouse in Regina. It would have then been distributed to liquor stores across the province.

“It was part of our day-to-day order, it wasn’t anything special or different,” Morris said in an interview Thursday.

“There was whiskey, rum, vodka – just a regular shipment of spirits that would go out to our stores.”

Morris says the stolen products have been reordered, and a new shipment is coming.

“Any sort of impact would certainly be minimal,” he said. “I don’t think customers will notice any difference at all.”

The trucking contractor declined to comment on the incident. Morris said the company will be responsible for incurring any losses from the theft, since the incident happened on its property.