Kuwait bans the import or domestic production of alcoholic beverages, but some are manufactured illegally in secret locations that lack oversight or safety standards, exposing consumers to the risk of poisoning.

The ministry said in a statement on X late yesterday that it had seized six factories and another four that were not yet operational in residential and industrial areas.

The health ministry said on Thursday that cases of methanol poisoning linked to the tainted drinks had risen to 160, with 23 deaths, mostly among Asian nationals, up from 13 fatalities reported earlier.

The head of the “criminal network”, a Bangladeshi national, was arrested, while one of the suspects, a Nepali, explained how methanol was prepared and sold, the interior ministry said.