Cairo: Saudi Arabia has said it thwarted an attempt to smuggle 2.3 million Captagon drug pills at a border crossing into the kingdom, the latest such bid uncovered in recent months.
The Saudi Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority (ZATCA) said the haul was found hidden inside a truck coming to the kingdom at the Al Hadaitha crossing in northern Saudi Arabia.
During inspection of the truck, the pills were found stowed into a purpose-built cavity on the floor of the vehicle, ZATCA added.
No specific arrests were reported in connection to the bid. Nor was it clear the origin of the foiled attempt.
In recent months, Saudi authorities have busted several attempts to smuggle drugs into the kingdom.
Last month, ZATCA customs officers foiled an attempt to smuggle over 12 million Captagon pills, which were hidden inside a coca shipment at the Jeddah port. In August, ZATCA reported thwarting two major smuggling attempts of drugs at the Jeddah port.
They included 8.7 million Captagon pills also hidden inside a coca shipment while the second attempt included 1.6 million pills, which were stashed away on the floor of a truck. In July, Saudi authorities thwarted an attempt to smuggle about 2.1 million Captagon pills hidden inside a shipment of tomato paste at Al Hadaitha crossing.
Drug smuggling and trafficking is an offence punishable by up to death in Saudi Arabia.
