Tourists finding it hard to find a stiff drink in Bali.

(DiveTravelNewswire.com - June 10, 2009) -- Sydney Morning Herald - Tourists in Bali may find it harder to find a stiff drink after authorities confiscated thousands of bottles of liquor from some of the holiday island's top hotels, restaurants and bars.

In the past fortnight, Customs officials have seized the booze, from high-end establishments in popular tourist areas like Kuta and Nusa Dua, because the bottles allegedly have counterfeit tax labels.

The tourism industry fears the seizures will lead to an alcohol shortage which may deter tourists from visiting Bali in what is traditionally the high season.

"We've asked for this confiscation process to be temporarily suspended because we are running out of stocks," Perry Markus, head of the Bali branch of the Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association, said on Tuesday.

Ida Bagus Subhiksu, head of the Bali Tourism Board, believes the raids could damage Bali's international reputation.

"We asked the customs office to stop the process and if they have to do something, please continue it later on, after the high season," Subhiksu said.

The raids come after at least 26 people, including four foreign tourists, were killed in Bali and nearby Lombok by drinking local rice wine - known as arak - tainted with methanol.

Arak has become increasingly popular in Bali since a government crackdown on imported alcohol forced up the price of spirits and wine.

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