Cairo: Saudi authorities had foiled an attempt to smuggle 4.6 million narcotic tablets hidden in sanitary ware at the Red Sea port of Jeddah, an official has said.
Spokesman for the General Directorate of Narcotic Control Major Mohammad Al Najeidi added that the amphetamine haul had been uncovered in two sanitary ware shipments in coordination with the Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority.
An expatriate, identified by Okaz newspaper as a Jordanian, was arrested in Jeddah city in connection to the illicit stuff.
In recent months, Saudi Arabia foiled several attempts to smuggle drugs into its territory.
Earlier this month, the kingdom’s anti-drug police said they had seized 4.9 million amphetamine narcotic tablets hidden in a shipment of cables.
A border security violator holding the Syrian nationality had been arrested as a would-be recipient of the haul in Riyadh.
Last month, the anti-drug police announced thwarting an attempt to smuggle 1.5 million amphetamine tablets found hidden in a shipment of building materials.
Would-be recipients of the shipment in Riyadh and the Eastern Province were arrested.
In November, the Saudi Interior Ministry said border guard patrols had foiled bids to smuggle large amounts of drugs into several areas of the kingdom including 671 kilograms of hashish, and 26.5 tons of the stimulant qat. Eighty-two smugglers were arrested in connection to the thwarted attempts.
Drug smuggling and trafficking is an offence punishable by up to death in Saudi Arabia.
