Saudi Arabia thwarts attempt to smuggle 143,000 Captagon pills

Cairo: Saudi Arabia said its customs officials had thwarted an attempt to smuggle around 143,000 Captagon pills through a border crossing, the latest in a series of such bids.

The haul was seized hidden inside a truck coming to the kingdom via Al Haditha border crossing with Jordan, according to the Saudi Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority (Zatca).

On inspecting the truck, the Captagon pills were found stashed at the bottom of its floor, Zatca added in a statement.

There was no report on arrests made in connection to the attempt.

In recent months, Saudi authorities have cracked down on narcotics smuggling and trafficking. Authorities there have reported thwarting a string of attempts to smuggle drugs into the kingdom.

Last week, Zatca announced foiling at the Jeddah port an attempt to smuggle 2.2 million Captagon pills hidden into a cargo of baklava desserts. Two would-be recipients were arrested in connection to the haul. Last month, Saudi Arabia’s anti-drug police said they had thwarted in cooperation with their Omani counterpart an attempt to smuggle over 6 million amphetamine pills hidden in a shipment of pastry, citrus and nuts.

In July, Saudi customs officers said they had had seized 1.3kg of heroin and 41 grams of opium inside a traveller’s guts upon his arrival at the King Abdulaziz airport in the Red Sea of Jeddah.

Earlier that month, customs officers at the King Abdulaziz airport thwarted an attempt to smuggle 168,274 Captagon pills hidden inside a beehive shipment.

In March, the kingdom’s anti-drug police said they had seized 4.9 million amphetamine pills hidden in a shipment of cables. Drug smuggling and trafficking is an offence punishable by up to death in Saudi Arabia.