Saudi Arabia links gun licence to drug test
Applicant must be aged at least 22, have no criminal record
Cairo: Obtaining a gun licence in Saudi Arabia now requires passing a drug test, according to a new ministerial decree that took effect on Friday.
Saudi Interior Minister Abdulaziz bin Saud has issued a decree amending executive regulations related to the arms and ammunition system.
The amendment stipulates that passing a toxicology test is a "requirement" for obtaining a licence to carry individual firearms and hunting weapons.
A toxicology test, also referred to as a tox screen, is conducted to determine traces of drugs in one's blood and urine.
Other requirements state that the licence applicant must be a Saudi national, at least 22 years old, and free of any criminal record or security restrictions. Additionally, the applicant must not have a disability or disease that could hinder the use of firearms.
In recent months, Saudi police have arrested several people for illegally using firearms or firing into the air.
Possession of an individual firearm or ammunition without a licence in Saudi Arabia is punishable by 18 months in prison and a fine of up to SR6,000, or one of these two penalties.
Saudi Arabia has, meanwhile, stepped up its crackdown on narcotics smugglers and traffickers in what is dubbed the “war on drugs”, recently reporting a series of thwarted attempts.
Last week, Saudi customs officers aborted an attempt to smuggle 2.4 million drug Captagon pills at the Red Sea port of Jeddah, the second such bid announced in October.
The Saudi Zakat, Tax, and Customs Authority (ZATCA) said in a statement that the haul was found hidden in a shipment arriving in the kingdom via the port.
Also in October, ZATCA reported that an attempt to smuggle 1.2 million Captagon pills through a border crossing had been foiled.