Cairo: Saudi Arabia’s customs officials said they had thwarted an attempt to smuggle into the country around 29,000 Captagon drug pills stashed into a cheese cargo at a border crossing.
The Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority (ZATCA) said the haul was found hidden inside a vehicle coming to the kingdom at the Al Hadaitha crossing in northern Saudi Arabia.
While examining the private car, the drug pills were discovered elaborately hidden inside plastic gloves that were in turn placed inside glass jars containing cheese as part of the would-be smuggler’s luggage.
After the haul was seized, coordination was conducted with the General Directorate of Narcotics Control to ensure arrest of recipients of the contraband. One person was arrested, according to ZATCA.
In recent months, Saudi Arabia has busted several attempts to smuggle drugs into the kingdom.
Last 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.
