JEDDAH: The Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice busted five local liquor factories in various parts of Jeddah and confiscated large quantities of locally brewed intoxicant (known as arak) that were ready for distribution among clients, announced commission spok-esman Salim ibn Sulaim Al-Sarwani.
One of the men arrested fired a gun at authorities, but nobody was injured, the commission said.
“This was accomplished by the commission in less than a month,” he said, adding the distilleries were located in random and crowded residential quarters.
In addition to alcohol being illegal in Saudi Arabia (and forbidden in Islam), distillation poses dangers of explosion or fire as fermented liquids are heated and the flammable alcoholic vapor is condensed. In many countries where alcohol is permitted, distilling is illegal because of the dangers involved.
Al-Sarwani said the distillers had turned their houses in the crowded areas into local factories where the arak was made. He estimated the price of the destroyed alcohol to be more than SR1 million.
“The last of these raids made by the commission was against an arak factory in Kilo 14 district where 143 large bottles and nine barrels each of a capacity of 250 liters were confiscated and destroyed in addition to 13 barrels each of a capacity of 95 liters in another factory in the same area,” he said.
Al-Sarwani said Asian and African women ran these factories. The number of suspects arrested was not disclosed.
