Cairo: Saudi customs officers aborted an attempt to smuggle 1.2 million Captagon pills at a border crossing, the kingdom's customs authorities have reported.
The haul was discovered inside a shipment arriving in the kingdom via the Halat Ammar crossing near the border with Jordan, according to the Saudi Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority (Zatca). The drugs were hidden in a marble mixer consignment and were exposed during customs procedures.
After the seizure, Zatca coordinated with the General Directorate of Narcotics Control and arrested two would-be recipients inside the kingdom.
In recent months, Saudi Arabia has intensified its crackdown on narcotics smugglers and traffickers in what is dubbed the “war on drugs,” reporting a series of foiled attempts. Last week, the Saudi Interior Ministry announced the dismantling of a drug smuggling and trafficking ring in Riyadh that included 16 government employees. A total of 21 individuals were arrested, including 16 employees from the ministries of interior, national guard, defense, municipalities, and justice, according to a source at the ministry.
Last month, Zatca reported that customs officers had thwarted the smuggling of nearly 55 kg of cocaine hidden in a banana shipment, marking the second such attempt foiled in less than a month. This latest attempt was intercepted at the King Abdullah port in the Rabigh governorate, part of the Mecca region, in a shipment from abroad.
Earlier in September, Saudi anti-drug police announced they had stopped an attempt to smuggle 236 kg of cocaine hidden in a banana shipment. This haul was seized by the General Directorate of Narcotics Control in coordination with Zatca at the same port.
In late August, Saudi authorities reported thwarting an attempt to smuggle 349,710 Captagon pills hidden in tile-polishing equipment at a border crossing. Zatca stated that this bid was uncovered in a consignment arriving in the kingdom at the Jadidat Arar border crossing with Iraq, leading to the arrest of four would-be recipients.
In July, Saudi police apprehended 14 individuals involved in narcotics peddling and smuggling across various parts of the country.
