Customs seize 17,000 bottles of vodka in Saudi

Saudi Arabian officials have seized almost 17,000 bottles of vodka that were being smuggled in vehicles carrying fruit.

Customs have thwarted an attempt to smuggle 17,000 bottles of vodka through Saudi Arabia

According to Gulf News, the spirits were being transported from a neighbouring country through Saudi Arabia in a consignment of mango and pomegranate.

Abdul Rahman Al Mahna, general director of Batha customs, said that the vehicle was going through a routine procedure at one of the country’s borders when a customs officer grew suspicious.

A thorough search of the vehicle then revealed 16,984, among them bottles of Smirnoff.

“Traffickers and smugglers are constantly attempting to find new ways to beat the system and smuggle in banned products into the kingdom,” Al Mahna told Gulf News.

All alcohol is banned from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, a predominantly Muslim state.

Earlier this week, it was reported that customs in Ireland had busted a multi-million euro moonshine racket run by members of the IRA.