Watch: Saudi Arabia seizes 3,600 alcohol bottles hidden in pipes

Cairo: Saudi customs officers thwarted an attempt to smuggle 3,612 alcohol bottles hidden in iron pipes, local media reported.

The Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority (ZATCA) said the illicit merchandise had been seized in a shipment of iron pipes at the Red Sea Jeddah port.

“When the shipment went through the security technical examination, the quantity of alcohol was found elaborately stowed into the pipes,” ZATCA added.

Two persons, who were on hand to take delivery of the shipment, were arrested, it said.

Earlier this month, ZATCA announced foiling an attempt to smuggle 2.3 million captagon pills at a border crossing into the kingdom.

The haul was found hidden inside a truck coming to the kingdom at the Al Hadaitha crossing in northern Saudi Arabia.

Drug smuggling and trafficking is an offence punishable by death in Saudi Arabia.