SAUDI ARABIA

African expats dominate alcohol trade

July 26, 2017

Irfan Mohammed



Saudi Gazette

JEDDAH — Illegal expatriates, especially from Africa, have been found to be brewing alcohol in their homes.

The issue of manufacturing and supplying alcohol in the Kingdom has been the main reason behind the campaign «A nation without violators» under which an amnesty was granted to illegal aliens to correct their residency and labor status. The amnesty, which was extended by a month, ended Monday.

During the campaign, security officials highlighted the illicit activities of certain illegal expatriate workers in the Kingdom. Buttressing their claim, several cases of alcohol manufacturing or storage by expatriate workers have recently surfaced. The latest case involved an African gang, which included a woman, which was engaged in large scale production of alcohol. The gang was busted in Riyadh.

“We have seized seven drums filled with liquor. Each drum has a capacity to store 1,500 liters of liquid” said Col. Fawaz Al-Mayman, spokesperson of Riyadh Police.

The police also seized 432 bottles filled with liquor from the house of the Africans. Equipment used in the production of the liquor were also seized, he added in a statement on Monday.

In a separate but similar incident, police in Samta in Jazan province arrested two men and a woman from Africa for manufacturing alcohol in their residential apartment, according to media reports.

Earlier also Riyadh police raided houses to dismantle liquor units and arrested Africans including women. Similarly, illegal aliens were also found to be involved in the production and supply of liquor in many parts of the Kingdom including the holy city of Madinah.

Agricultural lands located in remote and far away areas were used by them to operate liquor distilleries.

Expatriates from various Asian countries were also involved in the booze trade in the Kingdom. However, the trade is dominated by expatriates from a particular African country.


July 26, 2017
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