Interior Ministry: Closes non-compliant restaurant in Salmiya, arrests 11 staff members - Sarmad

The General Directorate of Criminal Investigations, represented by the Hawalli Governorate Investigations Department and the Salmiya Investigations Office, in cooperation with the Public Authority for Food and Nutrition, seized a restaurant and a food storage facility that violated health regulations in the Salmiya area, as part of security efforts to protect public health and combat activities that contravene the law.

The Ministry of Interior stated in a press release that the operation followed intelligence reports regarding the storage of food items under conditions that breached approved standards and their subsequent sale to customers. After conducting investigations and verifying the accuracy of the information, investigators, accompanied by inspectors from the Public Authority for Food and Nutrition, proceeded to the site. It was found that the restaurant continued operating despite having been previously shut down by the Authority.

The inspection revealed several violations, including operating the establishment after its license had been revoked or expired, opening a facility without a health license, utilizing additional spaces exceeding the licensed area, failing to comply with technical and health requirements, and handling adulterated and untraceable food products.

Eleven employees working at the restaurant and storage facility were cited for violations. It was determined that eight of them were working without health certificates issued by the competent authorities, in breach of regulations governing employment and food handling.

The Public Authority for Food and Nutrition destroyed 114 kilograms of adulterated food and issued 18 violation notices regarding the observed infractions.