Abu Dhabi: An attempt to smuggle 8.75 million Captagon pills from Turkey into Saudi Arabia was foiled at the Jeddah Port customs checkpoint, local media reported.
Upon inspection of a consignment of groats, police found the contraband hidden expertly in different parts of the grain, according to Undersecretary of the General Authority of Customs for Security Affairs, Mohammad bin Ali Al Nuaim.
Al Nuaim added several smuggling methods are used to bring in illegal drugs, but the Saudi Customs is focused on preventing the entry of any substances that might harm the health and safety of its citizens.
The recipients of the illegal drugs, a Saudi and two Syrian residents, were also arrested, Al Nuaim said.
Captagon is one of several brand names for the drug compound fenethylline hydrochloride. The pills stimulate the central nervous system, increasing alertness, boosting concentration and physical performance, and providing a feeling of well-being.
