Oman coastguards bust huge qat haul at sea

Cairo: Oman’s coastguards had foiled an attempt to smuggle a large cache of the illicit stimulant qat into the country.

The Royal Oman Police (ROP) said the coastguards in Dhofar governorate in southern Oman had arrested three smugglers of an Arab national in a boat at sea with 1,216 bundles of the qat stimulant drug in their possession.

“Legal procedures against them are being taken,” ROP added on Twitter without giving further details.

According to the Omani law, drugs offences are punishable by up to death and a maximum fine of OMR 50,000.