Authorities in Iran have jailed three Iraqis in the southwestern border province of Khuzestan for smuggling alcoholic beverages into the country, a newspaper report said Saturday.
"During the past two days, the members of a three-man alcohol-smuggling gang, who are Iraqi, were arrested and jailed in Abadan," a port city in Khuzestan, the conservative Resalaat daily quoted Khuzestan police spokesman Yaghoub Tabatabyi as saying, cited by AFP.
Police reportedly seized "521 cans of Iraqi alcoholic drinks, 68 bottles of whiskey and 585 cans of Dutch beer," as well as "a Kalashnikov and 525 bullets," Tabatayi said.
"Saeed J. and Ismail M. were each sentenced to 25 years in prison, and the case of the third man is still being investigated," he added.
Only members of Islamic Iran's non-Muslim community are allowed to consume alcoholic beverages, whose production, sale and consumption is otherwise strictly forbidden. (Albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
