Dubai: Kuwait’s Customs department has announced the seizure of a yacht of a famous social media celebrity who tried to smuggle different brands of alcohol.
On inspection, 693 liquor bottles were found inside the yacht that had a Kuwaiti citizen and a Filipino expat.
The Customs department referred the persons aboard the yacht to competent authorities to take legal action.
Following the bust, Yaqoub Boushehri, a Kuwait social media celebrity, confirmed that the yacht belongs to him and asked his followers and fans to wait for the outcome of the investigation. He said he is ready to fly back from London if he was asked to.
Following preliminary investigation, Kuwait authorities have issued an order to arrest Boushehri and issued a circular to all air and land ports to refer him to the public prosecution once he is back in the country.
Kuwait and Saudi Arabia are the only two states with an absolute ban on alcohol, although access to liquor is restricted to hotels and restaurants frequented by foreigners in much of the region.
Kuwait prohibits the import of intoxicating substances in compliance with Article 206 of Law 46 of 1964. According to the article concerned with alcohol, every person who imports or manufactures with the intent to trade alcohol or intoxicating drink shall be punished by imprisonment for a period not exceeding ten years.
