JEDDAH, 16 September 2004 — In one of the biggest liquor busts, police in Jeddah seized more than 15,000 liters of illicit alcohol with a street value of SR4 million. Four people, including an African woman, were arrested.
The liquor, contained in plastic bottles and hidden inside barrels, were ready for distribution when police swooped in.
Teams from the Commission for the Promotion of Virtues and Prevention of Vices coordinated with police to storm the illicit distillery located in the Al-Rehaili neighborhood, north of Jeddah. The factory was equipped with materials used to produce large amounts of liquor. Police arrested three Africans and an Arab national.
The crackdown came after the commission received a tip-off about a Saudi selling liquor in large quantities out of his car in the city. Commission members and police monitored his movements and followed the car to the factory where he loaded new consignments. When the factory was stormed, police found more than 300 bottles of liquor inside boxes ready for sale. Police confiscated all the bottles and equipment found in the factory.
Early investigations showed that the Saudi had a record of selling illicit liquor. Sources say that the liquor gang used the African woman as a cover for their operation when the sales team moved from one neighborhood to another.
A source said security forces are coordinating with authorities to arrest people who produce and sell liquor. As police continued to crack down on liquor dens, located mostly in old neighborhoods, the source urged citizens to inform police about any suspicious activities they notice in order to put an end to the menace.
According to the commission, most liquor factories raided by police were located in the southern neighborhoods of Jeddah, such as Sharafiya, Ruwais, and Al-Sabeel districts.
Most of those arrested on charges of making and selling liquor are from Africa or Asia who were attempting to make an easy buck. They sold liquor at SR50 a small bottle and SR100 a large one.
