Authorities have smashed an illegal alcohol factory with more than 3,000 liters of locally distilled alcohol at a rest house in Al-Thumamah desert resort area. Two Indian expats were arrested for running the factory. Acting on a tip-off, the police set a trap to catch the expats red-handed by sending an undercover to negotiate a deal with them. As they were sealing the deal, the police raided the place and destroyed the 3,000 liters. The contraband alcohol would have been enough for about 6,000 small water bottles. This illegal operation could have netted more than half a million riyals. Run as an illegal business, all alcohol factories in the Kingdom have been plagued by unhygienic conditions and use of stagnant sewage water at the bottling plant posing serious health dangers to drinkers. – Okaz __