Suez Canal's Marlboro Bribe Culture

Egypt's Suez Canal has long been nicknamed the "Marlboro Canal" in the shipping industry because some workers allegedly demanded cartons of upmarket cigarettes to let ships pass without trouble. In 2017, an Egyptian merchant shipper named Amin Wahab described on Facebook how canal workers boarded his ship and demanded cigarettes, food, and other goods. One official reportedly demanded 17 cartons of cigarettes, nuts, dried fruit, fruit, bottled water, and a hot meal while threatening to impose a $20,000 fine. Wahab later deleted the post after it went viral.

Previous Fact Next Fact