Busted! 1,382 cans of beer seized from boat

High-speed chase ends with Brunei officials arresting 2 alleged smugglers

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updated 4:52 a.m. ET Feb. 25, 2009

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, Brunei - It was a beer run on the high seas. Brunei's customs officers arrested two men who tried to smuggle 1,382 cans of contraband beer by boat into the Muslim-majority country, a news report said Wednesday.

The men entered Brunei's waters from a neighboring nation Tuesday but tried to flee when they realized they had been spotted, the Borneo Bulletin newspaper reported. It did not identify the neighboring country, but Brunei shares borders with two Malaysian states on Borneo island.

Customs authorities foiled the escape after a high-speed chase, making their biggest seizure of alcohol this year, the report added.

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Brunei's laws ban the public sale and consumption of alcohol, though non-Muslim visitors are allowed to bring in limited amounts for private consumption.

Representatives of Brunei's Royal Customs Department could not immediately be reached. The men are expected to be charged with alcohol smuggling, which is typically punished by a fine.