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RIYADH: Customs officials in Saudi Arabia say they've cracked a case — and then some — of smugglers trying to bring illicit cans of beer through the kingdom by disguising them as Pepsi.
In a statement, customs officials say they intercepted 48,000 cans of beer moving through the al-Batha border crossing with the United Arab Emirates.
In video posted Wednesday on Twitter, the customs officials show an officer using a box cutter to open a wrapped 24-pack of the fake Pepsi only to find the green-and-white Heineken cans beneath it.
Drinking or possessing alcohol is a criminal offense in the ultra-conservative Sunni kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Also Read: Saudi prince arrested on sex crime charge at Los Angeles mansion
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Comments (42) Closed
Nov 13, 2015 04:28pm
Funny , cant stop laughing.
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Nov 13, 2015 04:30pm
Huge demands of alcohol in Saudi Arabia . . .
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Nov 13, 2015 04:35pm
Nice try. Full marks for creativity. Poor quality wrapper gave it away.
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Nov 13, 2015 04:51pm
Very innovative. I have to give them credit for this.
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Nov 13, 2015 05:05pm
well its funny
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Nov 13, 2015 05:17pm
Excellent work by customs, severe most punishment should be given to the offender. Pepsi should also take legal action where this illegal disguising work was going on. People will loose confidence in Pepsi & would be skeptical with other such drinks. I for one have to grow nail to scratch the next Pepsi can before drinking it.
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Nov 13, 2015 05:19pm
Saudi Love it, high demand, what happen a Prince caught at Lebnon airport with 25 suite cases and 15 tons of drug, any update on that ?
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Nov 13, 2015 05:19pm
To avoid such situation again , authorities should sample every pepsi /cola can than comes to KSA.
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Nov 13, 2015 05:32pm
Prohibition has never worked anywhere and has not worked in SA. I went to many parties in Riyadh and Jeddah where alcohol flowed by the barrel.
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Nov 13, 2015 05:36pm
Wonder how much $$$ the smuggler can make out of a Heineken beer can?:):)
The Pepsi logo does not look genuine?
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Nov 13, 2015 05:40pm
I have seen empty Jonny walker cases outside shops
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Nov 13, 2015 05:43pm
Why would you need to smuggle alcohol in Saudi Arabia it is freely available in Bahrain
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Nov 13, 2015 05:43pm
Lots of people drink in that country. There is a huge demand and therefore there is supply too.
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Nov 13, 2015 06:08pm
The shaikh who ordered this would be furious !
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Nov 13, 2015 06:22pm
This is a Coke's conspiracy to damage Pepsi's brandname and credibility !
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Nov 13, 2015 06:30pm
Meanwhile the Financial Times carries a report on how the Arabs invented the distillation process for alcohol.
Prohibition only leads to criminality and excess consumption. Legalize, regulate and tax is the only formula that will work in the long run - for them and for us.
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Nov 13, 2015 06:48pm
They should now also look for the consumers of narcotics within the country who have equally been contributing towards the beheading of carriers only.
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Nov 13, 2015 06:51pm
smart work
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Nov 13, 2015 06:55pm
Maybe if Saudis could drink without fear of getting decapitated, they would not go to other countries and drink heavily
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Nov 13, 2015 07:18pm
One has to be stupid to smuggle beer in a Pepsi can. It raises suspicions, why would anyone bring Pepsi from another country when Pepsi is already available in abundance.
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Nov 13, 2015 07:25pm
Saudi princes go to other countries for enjoyment but they keep their house clean
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Nov 13, 2015 07:41pm
Where there is demand, there will be a supply
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Nov 13, 2015 07:51pm
KSA should BAN Pepsi cans throughout the kingdom of saudi Arabia..........
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Nov 13, 2015 07:56pm
@Abdulla Hussain Dont go overboard. There is a big difference between Pepsi and beer. Anyone can figure it out just by looking or smelling it.
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Nov 13, 2015 07:57pm
A bridge connecting Bahrain and KSA was built so that Saudis can consume what they want overseas.
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Nov 13, 2015 08:03pm
@Niaz ali Khattk
obviously. No action taken. Case filed. A Prince's action cannot be a crime ! Fair Saudi Justice !
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Nov 13, 2015 08:05pm
Most of Saudi people, & royal families drink alchol whenever they travel outside of Saudi Arabia and they have become addticted, this should not be surprise news to them.
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Nov 13, 2015 08:10pm
Have they confiscated in possession of the royals as well?
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Nov 13, 2015 08:17pm
Saudis need to reduce the demand. Hypocritical.
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Nov 13, 2015 08:30pm
@harmony-1 Easy way make alcohol official in Saudi Arabia
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Nov 13, 2015 08:36pm
What's new. The so called Royals gets all types of wine thru diplomatic corps channel. Most embassies provide the princes with desired liquors.
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Nov 13, 2015 08:53pm
@Sodomite A briton aged 70 has been sentenced to 100 lashes for trying to prepare beer at home for his own consumption that is jeopardizing relation between the two countries but the saudis arent letting this briton go away.
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Nov 13, 2015 09:14pm
some non-Saudi non-white will be executed
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Nov 13, 2015 10:54pm
Its a supply demand situation......did they taste the stuff inside the cans ?....possibly it was Pepsi.
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Nov 13, 2015 11:40pm
these brilliant saudis can do anything. the whole world sends their investigation depatments to learn from them
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Nov 14, 2015 12:19am
Why is it banned? What if non-muslims want to drink?
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Nov 14, 2015 05:55am
The thing about beer is that one can smell stale beer in an empty can.
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Nov 14, 2015 07:30am
Poor Saudis.
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Nov 14, 2015 07:40am
Why is Saudi ultra conservative. That is a matter of opinion
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Nov 14, 2015 08:12am
Are they going to throw away all that beer? What a waste!
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Nov 14, 2015 09:02am
Oh well. Now the beer rate will go up in the kingdom.
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Nov 14, 2015 09:58am
This is hilarious. I want to know what they did with the confiscated beer.
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