Justice and Public Safety
September 29, 2016

Public Information Assists in Investigation by Fish and Wildlife Enforcement

On September 22, fish and wildlife enforcement officers from the Roddickton and Corner Brook detachments conducted an operation in the Croque area of the Northern Peninsula. The Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Division had recently received several complaints from the public of illegal night hunting of moose including hunting from vehicles after dark, using artificial lights, and shooting from vehicles.

At approximately midnight, officers apprehended three adult males, all from Labrador City, after they fled the scene of a night hunting incident and failed to stop. They were intercepted by a second patrol vehicle at which time the arrests were made.

As a result of the investigation to date, officers have seized six firearms, a pickup truck, a large quantity of ammunition, a quantity of moose, four additional moose licences and tags, and other hunting paraphernalia.

A large number of charges are pending under the Wildlife Act including hunting big game without a valid licence, hunting big game at night, discharging a firearm from a roadway, and dangerous use of a firearm.

The three males were later released and will appear in provincial court in St. Anthony in December.

The investigation is ongoing and more charges are expected.

The public can play a significant role in assisting officers by reporting any suspicious activity. This can be done anonymously and toll-free at any time, by calling 1-877-820-0999 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS. Anonymous online reports can also be submitted at www.stoppoaching.ca or www.nlcrimestoppers.com

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2016 09 29            2:00 p.m.