Cairo: Saudi customs authorities said they have thwarted attempts by several air passengers to smuggle cocaine and heroin hidden into their guts.
More than 2 kilograms of cocaine were detected stashed in the guts of three travellers arriving at the King Abdulaziz International Airport in the Saudi port city of Jeddah, the kingdom’s Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority (Zataca) said.
The customs officers also foiled an attempt by a fourth passenger to smuggle 878 grams of heroin hidden into the guts at the same airport.
Zatca did not say when the attempts were uncovered or give the nationalities of the smugglers.
In recent months, Saudi Arabia has stepped up its crackdown on narcotics smugglers and traffickers in what is dubbed the “war on drugs” and reported a string of thwarted attempts.
Drug smuggling and trafficking is an offence punishable by up to death in Saudi Arabia.
