Saudis bust huge drug haul from Lebanon
Contraband of 14m amphetamine pills was hidden in a shipment of iron sheets
Abu Dhabi: Saudi Arabia foiled an attempt to smuggle more than 14 million amphetamine pills from Lebanon into the Kingdom on Saturday, the spokesman for the Saudi General Directorate of Narcotics Control (GDNC), Captain Mohammed bin Khaled Al Najidi, said.
The drugs were hidden in a shipment of iron sheets and were seized by the General Directorate of Narcotics Control in coordination with the General Authority for Zakat and Tax and Customs at Jeddah Islamic Port, Al Najidi added.
A citizen, who was allegedly involved in the smuggling, has been arrested in Riyadh and referred to Public Prosecution pending trial.
The attempt comes after the Kingdom banned the import and transit of fruit and vegetables from Lebanon in April after authorities foiled two large drug smuggling attempts involving narcotics hidden inside pomegranates.
Drug offences are punishable by death in Saudi Arabia.