RIYADH, 29 June — Saudi authorities have arrested a number of Arab and Asian expatriates peddling cologne-based alcohol, an Arabic newspaper reported yesterday.
Police arrested an unspecified number of "East Asian and Arab workers" in Riyadh Wednesday night, who were in possession of 30,000 bottles of cologne, Al-Watan said.
The group had been selling the cologne "used as a kind of alcohol," the paper said, adding that the bottles were confiscated from Deera market in Riyadh.
The paper said the bottles were brought in a car driven by a Yemeni. They tried to escape when they saw inspectors from the Commerce Ministry, the paper pointed out.
Bassam Al-Bishr, one of the inspectors, said the expatriates were arrested while they were purchasing cologne in bulk quantities from a factory in Riyadh.
At least 19 people died in Makkah and Jizan after drinking cologne laced with poisonous methanol. Several others were hospitalized. A number of the victims were blinded.
Police in Makkah arrested a number of people on suspicion of selling the cologne used by the victims, believed to be mainly Saudis and Africans.
Khan Muhammad, one of the expatriates involved, said he was arrested while purchasing cartons of cologne from a factory in Riyadh. He said he paid SR90 per carton and sold it for SR300.
Mir Hussein, another Pakistani in detention, said he was held while unloading the cartons from a truck.
