Saudi security agencies said operations across six regions of the Kingdom foiled drug smuggling and promotion attempts and led to the detention of 71 suspects of different nationalities.[1] The General Directorate of Border Guard said it foiled smuggling attempts in Jazan, Asir, the Eastern Province and the Northern Borders and arrested 66 Ethiopian border-security violators.[1] In Al-Jawf region, the General Directorate of Narcotics Control arrested two citizens for allegedly promoting hashish and 1,755 pills subject to medical-trade controls.[1] In Jazan, narcotics officers arrested a Yemeni resident over 50,280 pills subject to medical-trade controls, while General Directorate of Mujahideen patrols arrested an Ethiopian border violator for allegedly promoting hashish.[1] In Qassim region, security patrols arrested a Pakistani resident for allegedly promoting methamphetamine (shabu).[1] The agencies said the detainees were stopped, legal procedures were taken against them and they were referred to the competent authorities.[1]
The agencies put the combined seizures at 1.3 tonnes of khat plant, 164 kilograms of hashish, 5 kilograms of heroin and 2.5 kilograms of methamphetamine, plus 327,067 narcotic and medically regulated pills.[1] The Border Guard said its seizures accounted for the 1.3 tonnes of khat, the 164 kilograms of hashish, the 5 kilograms of heroin and the 2.5 kilograms of methamphetamine, plus 40,582 amphetamine pills and 234,450 pills subject to medical-trade controls.[1] Sabq, reporting the Border Guard operation, gave the same figures of 164 kilograms of hashish, 40,582 amphetamine pills and 234,450 regulated pills.[2] The published pill total comprised 40,582 amphetamine pills and 286,485 pills subject to medical-trade controls.[1]
Sabq described the interceptions as part of the Border Guard’s continuing efforts to confront smuggling, strengthen border security and curb the flow of drugs through border crossings.[2]
