67 people were arrested and accused of producing and distributing bootleg alcohol in Kuwait after 23 people died and more than 160 were hospitalized from methanol poisoning in recent days, authorities said.
The Interior Ministry said raids uncovered six illicit factories and four more under construction across residential and industrial areas. Alcohol is banned in Kuwait, as it is in neighboring Saudi Arabia, but smuggling and underground production remain relatively common in the Gulf, underlining the risks of black-market brews in a region where demand persists despite prohibition.