Kuwaiti authorities say they have arrested 67 people accused of running an underground alcohol network linked to at least 23 deaths in recent days. Among those detained is a Bangladeshi national described as the head of the operation.
The Interior Ministry said in a statement on X that security forces uncovered six active factories and four more under construction, hidden in residential and industrial areas. A Nepali suspect reportedly explained to investigators how methanol was mixed and sold as liquor.
Alcohol is banned in Kuwait, but black-market production continues in secret locations with no oversight or safety checks. Officials say that lack of regulation leaves consumers vulnerable to methanol poisoning.
The Ministry of Health confirmed Thursday that 160 cases of poisoning have been recorded, with 23 fatalities, many of them Asian nationals. Dozens remain in critical condition: 51 patients required urgent kidney dialysis and 31 are on mechanical ventilation.
India’s embassy in Kuwait, representing the country’s largest expatriate community, said about 40 Indian nationals were among those hospitalised.
Methanol is a toxic, colorless alcohol commonly found in industrial products. Its effects are hard to detect right away, with symptoms ranging from nausea and abdominal pain to breathing problems. If untreated, methanol poisoning has a high fatality rate, sometimes reaching 40 percent, according to Doctors Without Borders (MSF).
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