Saudi officials have confiscated 4.3 million masks being stockpiled at a storage facility in Jeddah, claiming the facility violated commercial regulations Arab News reported.
The masks, according to the Ministry of Commerce, have been stockpiled with the intention of selling them without following protocol.
A team from the ministry said the demand for surgical masks is rising and that the facility has tried to take advantage of it by planning to sell it even without proper authorization from Saudi Food & Drug Authority.
In addition, the ministry added that the facility did not disclose the quantity of masks they were keeping, another violation in the law relating to Commercial Register.
The ministry posted the seizing operation on Twitter, and assured that they will impose penalty for those responsible for the said hoarding. They added that the masks will be redistributed to authorized commercial markets.
Saudi Arabia has once again warned importers stockpiling goods with the intention of selling them at higher prices, advising them that these items must be distributed to authorized marketplaces and in coordination with the authorities.
