KUWAIT CITY, Dec 19: Special Agents from the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command are investigating allegations of abuse and illegal resale of pork products at [Army and Air Force Exchange Service] in Kuwait,” Chris Grey, spokesman for CID, told Task & Purpose. “Due to the ongoing investigation, no further information will be released at this time to protect the integrity of the investigative process.”

According to taskandpurpose.com, which specializes in news and affairs of the American forces deployed outside the United State stated that Kuwait is a Muslim country, where pork is strictly prohibited. And if an American is selling prohibited pork on Kuwaiti soil, then they could be punished under Kuwaiti law. According to the State Department’s Overseas Security Advisory Council, U.S. citizens “are subject to the country’s laws and regulations” in Kuwait. Question remains could a U.S. service member caught selling pork off-post really face life behind bars? And furthermore, who in God’s name would risk a sentence like that for a few hundred dollars?

On Dec. 1, @LethalityJane tweeted a photo of a Reddit post which seemed to say that U.S. soldiers stationed in Kuwait were participating in some kind of pork black market off-post:

The circular warned that the punishment for smuggling and selling pork outside the camps is life imprisonment. According to Kuwait Penal code Article 13 of Law 112/2013  the penalty for selling pork is imprisonment between 3 months and 3 years.

Some soldiers have been buying frozen pork bundles inside the camp at the equivalent of 30 dollars a block, then smuggling them secretly outside in black market at the equivalent of 200 dollars a bundle.

The site stated that Kuwaiti laws strictly criminalize the promotion and sale of pork, and that if the Kuwaiti authorities arrest any person (including any American soldier) red handed selling those meat, they will punish him under the penalties stipulated by those laws.