Saudi Gazette report

MADINAH — Thousands of bottles of adulterated Zamzam water have been destroyed and many illegal refilling plants and stores sealed by the authorities in raids across the Kingdom.

The demand for the precious water increases in the holy month of Ramadan as citizens and residents prefer Zamzam water in iftar (the evening meal to break the fast).

Pilgrims also buy large quantities of Zamzam water to take home.

To stop the black market for Zamzam water and to ensure that people and pilgrims get pure Zamzam water, the government has given permission to only authorized stores to sell this precious water.

But many unauthorized shops have been found selling Zamzam water mixed with normal water.

Recently the authorities in Madinah seized more than 3,000 bottles of adulterated Zamzam water with the stickers of the King Abdullah Zamzam Water Project from a car park in a residential neighborhood.

The Ministry of Commerce and Investment announced the closure of a factory in Buraidah for refilling Zamzam water bottles with normal water. They found 6,500 bottles of adulterated Zamzam water.

The ministry also found a warehouse in Makkah for storing Zamzam water and selling it to shops. Some 200,000 bottles were destroyed by the ministry and the warehouse was sealed.

In Hail, the ministry found 1,600 bottles of fake Zamzam water.

The Saudi Food and Drug Authority warned customers from buying Zamzam water from unauthorized shops.