A Saudi court has sentenced 11 people to a combined 65 years in prison and issued fines of more than 29 million riyals ($7.7 million) after finding them guilty of smuggling government-subsidised diesel, the Public Prosecution said.
According to the prosecution, the 11 smugglers and a commercial entity bought government-subsidised diesel in large quantities, through gas stations they owned and illegally resold them to buyers abroad, the Saudi Sabq newspaper reported.
The defendants were also found guilty of money laundering, counterfeiting and violating the banking control system.
The Saudi authorities have also stripped the gas stations of their licences and prevented them from future dealing with government institutions.
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