The Army’s Criminal Investigation Command confirmed Wednesday that its agents are investigating “allegations of abuse and illegal resale of pork products” purchased at post exchange stores in Kuwait.

According to the State Department, it is a crime for even foreign citizens to possess, import, or sell pork products in the majority-Muslim country. An Army official explained to Military Times that U.S. citizens who are on American bases in the country can purchase five pork products per day from Army & Air Force Exchange Services stores, but they are strictly forbidden from transporting them off-post or reselling them.

“I can confirm Special Agents from the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command are investigating allegations of abuse and illegal resale of pork products at AAFES in Kuwait,” said Chris Grey, CID’s chief of public affairs in a statement emailed to Military Times. “Due to the ongoing investigation, no further information will be released at this time to protect the integrity of the investigative process.”

Asked whether the CID investigation would affect the supply of pork products at Kuwait post exchanges, AAFES spokesman Chris Ward said that “there has been no change to the Exchange’s stock assortment in Kuwait.” AAFES operates nine facilities in Kuwait, according to its website, and deployed servicemembers and eligible civilians are permitted to shop there.

The Arab Times, an English-language Kuwaiti news organization, has reported past arrests of foreign citizens for importing or selling pork, including the arrest of four Philippines nationals in 2016 who were caught in possession of 35 kilograms of the forbidden foodstuff. Pork is reportedly a hot commodity on the black market in Kuwait because it plays a central role in the native cuisine of the county’s 260,000 Filipino ex-pats. Health inspectors in the small Persian Gulf state regularly check restaurants and markets to see if pork products are on sale, even shutting down restaurants that violate the law.

This article has been updated to add a statement from AAFES public affairs staff.

Davis Winkie covers the Army for Military Times. He studied history at Vanderbilt and UNC-Chapel Hill, and served five years in the Army Guard. His investigations earned the Society of Professional Journalists' 2023 Sunshine Award and consecutive Military Reporters and Editors honors, among others. Davis was also a 2022 Livingston Awards finalist.

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