KFC smuggled into Gaza through tunnels

Colonel Sanders' secret recipe fried chicken is being smuggled into Gaza through underground tunnels from Egypt.

The al-Yamama delivery company started when a a few friends decided to call a friend who lives in al-Arish, an Egyptian city 35 miles away that has a Kentucky Fried Chicken. When they uploaded photos to Facebook, they realized other Gazans wanted a bite.

"Then we asked ourselves, 'Why don't we provide this service for Gazans?'" Mohammed al-Madani, al-Yamama’s financial manager, told the Christian Science Monitor.

The placed an ad on their Facebook page and had more than 20 orders within a few hours. A KFC family meal costs the equivalent of $11 in Egypt. Al-Yamama charges $30 for smuggling the fried goods.

"It has been a dream, and this company has made my dream come true," one customer said.

Al-Madani said customers don't mind paying the high prices. "Most of those who order are people who are accustomed to travel and eat KFC food around the world," he said.

Hundreds of smuggling tunnels between Egypt and Gaza have sprung up in the past six years in response to Israeli restrictions on imports. Smuggler Abu Iyad says the tunnels are meant to bring in basic food stuffs, construction materials, and sometimes people.

But Israel recently relaxed its embargo, leading to a decline in tunnel business. "This is why I accept to smuggle anything except weapons and drugs," Abu Iyad said.