KUWAIT CITY, May 21: The Court of Appeal, presided over by Counselor Nasr Salem Al-Haid and comprising Counselors Saud Al-Sanea and Tariq Metwally, sentenced a Kuwaiti citizen to seven years in prison for smuggling over 28,000 bottles of alcohol from Vietnam, while acquitting the remaining defendants in the case.
The Public Prosecution had charged five individuals with illegally importing beer for selling in Kuwait, in violation of Kuwaiti law and without paying the necessary customs duties. According to the testimony of a customs inspector, the incident began when a container arriving from Vietnam was declared to contain energy drinks. Upon inspection, however, the officer discovered cardboard boxes labeled as energy drinks that concealed cans of alcoholic beer. The container was then sealed, and a coordinated operation with the anti-narcotics department led to an ambush. The primary suspect, identified as the owner of the company receiving the shipment, was arrested. The second and third suspects were later summoned and confessed to importing alcohol from Vietnam, revealing that the primary accused had been engaged in similar activities for several years.
