His crime? Prosecutors accused the waiter of stockpiling sugar, a government subsidized commodity, with the intent of profiting by selling it to stores at a higher prices.

Egypt is in the midst of a sugar crisis. In a country where sugar is used in abundance, to sweeten traditional dishes and flavor multiple doses of Arabic tea every day, a nationwide shortage of the staple has spiked prices and shaken the population — and the politicians.

The arrests are part of a widespread police operation targeting dealers of sugar on the black market. The government also set up a hotline last week for citizens to report incidents of sugar stockpiling, as well as other staple commodities such as rice.

In recent days, authorities have raided sugar factories and distributors, including companies that make Twinkies and Pepsi-Cola, forcing temporary shutdowns. That did not send a positive signal to potential foreign investors, but the country’s prime minister insisted it was the correct action.

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“It was a limited number of cases, and they have been dealt with,” said Prime Minister Sherif Ismail during a local TV interview, referring to the raids. “And we will monitor this procedure, but it was necessary.”

Nevertheless, the sugar crisis is the latest trigger for the growing populist anger at Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sissi and the country’s sinking economy. A recent national poll by Baseera, the Egyptian center for public opinion research, found that Sissi’s satisfaction rate among Egyptian voters fell to 68 percent in October, a 14-point drop since August.