KUWAIT: Ministry of Interior (MoI) seized 180,000 bottles of illegal liquor worth KD 15 million yesterday. - moi

KUWAIT: The Ministry of Interior (MoI) yesterday announced the biggest-ever alcohol haul in the country's history - seizing 180,000 bottles of liquor worth KD 15 million, according to security sources. The Ministry of Interior Undersecretary Lieutenant General Suleiman Al-Fahad said in a statement that officers at the Drug Control Department arrested two suspects; a Kuwaiti and an Iranian who tried to smuggle the largest-ever batch of alcohol into the country. The shipment contained 15,000 cartons consisting of 180,000 bottles of liquor.

According to case papers, detectives had been tipped off about the suspicious movements of the smugglers and that a special undercover agent was assigned to reach a deal with them under the pretense that he would purchase 70 cartons from them. The citizen, who had a criminal record for committing similar crimes in the past, was caught red-handed while delivering the contraband.

His arrest led the police to his Iranian accomplice and the supplier and eventually to his secret warehouse in Sulaibiya. General Al-Fahad lauded the drug control officers for their meticulous and careful planning in carrying out the operation underlining their dedication in keeping the country safe.

By Hanan Al-Saadoun