Saudi authorities have thwarted attempts to smuggle more than 350,000 amphetamine tablets, 1.5 million tablets subject to medical circulation regulations, 2.6 tonnes of hashish, and 144 tonnes of the narcotic qat, the Saudi Press Agency Spa said on Monday.
Authorities conducted mass arrests in the regions of Tabuk, Jazan, Asir, and Najran, where hundreds of suspected smugglers were detained, the agency added. The suspects include 995 Ethiopians, 695 Yemenis, one Eritrean, one Somali, one Sudanese and 15 Saudi citizens.
The drug bust comes as part of the Ministry of Interior’s continuing efforts to monitor smuggling and trafficking activities that threaten the security of the kingdom and its youth, said Spa. Security officials urged citizens and residents to come forward if they have any information related to the trafficking or distribution of drugs.
Last month, a joint Saudi-Lebanese operation thwarted an attempt to smuggle more than five million amphetamine pills.
The operation highlights intensifying regional collaboration to confront the growing threat of amphetamine smuggling in the Gulf region. Saudi Arabia has stepped up efforts in recent years to intercept drugs at their source and enhance intelligence sharing with partners in a bid to dismantle smuggling networks.
