Saudi Arabia foils several attempts to smuggle amphetamine pills, khat, hashish

Members of the General Directorate of Narcotics Control display amphetamine pills seized after foiling an attempt to smuggle more than 19 million amphetamine pills into Saudi Arabia. (File photo: SPA)

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Saudi Arabia’s customs have foiled attempts of people trying to smuggle 29 tons of khat, 490 kilograms of hashish and more than 1.5 million amphetamine tablets into the Kingdom, the Ministry of Interior reported on Tuesday.

The attempts were reportedly thwarted in Jizan, Tabuk and the Kingdom’s Eastern Province.

As of yet, 27 people have been accused. Twelve were Saudi residents, with eight Yemenis, four Egyptians and three Ethiopians, according to the interior ministry’s statement.

The necessary procedures have been completed and the smuggled goods handed over to the authorities, Colonel Al-Qarini was reported as saying in the statement. He added that the border guards are continuing to confront all smuggling attempts with due diligence and determination.

Attempts to smuggle narcotics into Saudi Arabia is on the rise.

On Saturday the authorities stopped six drug smuggling attempts which included more than 1.1 million Captagon tablets hidden in shipments at the Haditha port, according to the Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority. After going through the country’s strict customs procedures, the drugs were found to be hidden in various ways, with some found in exhaust pipes and truck batteries.

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