Rankin Inlet (Jun 28/06) - A common-law couple from Rankin Inlet has been charged with four counts of bootlegging after police discovered a cache of hard liquor in their home.

Mounties executed a search warrant early on June 17 and charged the 41-year-old man and 25-year-old woman following the seizure of 20 bottles of vodka.

Police declined to release the value of the booze publicly, but according to some community members, black-market bottles can fetch between $100 and $140. That would make the seizure worth, at the high end, about $2,600.

"Anytime we can charge somebody with bootlegging, we will," RCMP Cpl. Mike Lokken said.

"We know who is selling liquor. But sometimes it is difficult to prove."

Illegal alcohol sales are a "serious" problem for the community; most calls that come into the Rankin detachment are booze related, Lokken said.

Police believe the suspects in this case had obtained their alcohol legally, but were selling the vodka from their home. Lokken could only say Mounties had received "information from the community" which led them to seek a search warrant.

Usually, most residents are wary about coming forward because they either don't want to cut-off their supplier or are worried about being labelled an informant, Lokken said. But people can provide police with tips without their name becoming public.

"If anybody has information, we would encourage them to come forward," he said.

The suspects are scheduled to appear in a Rankin courtroom Aug. 14.