Kuwaiti authorities have seized more than 300,000 Captagon pills in the Gulf state in a co-ordinated security operation with neighbouring Iraq.
“The Criminal Security Sector, represented by the General Department for Drug Control, in direct co-operation and co-ordination with its counterpart in the Republic of Iraq, thwarted a plot by an international criminal network involved in smuggling and distributing Captagon,” the Kuwaiti Interior Ministry said.
It said an illegal resident was arrested in possession of 314,000 Captagon pills, worth about one million Kuwaiti dinars, after being monitored and tracked by authorities.
During interrogation, the suspect, who has a prior record of drug trafficking, confessed that the seized narcotics were intended for distribution in the country in partnership with an individual abroad, the ministry added.
The suspect and the seized drugs were referred to the Narcotics Prosecution for further legal action, it said.
“This joint security co-operation reflects the level of effective regional co-ordination in confronting cross-border criminal networks, and confirms the continuation of proactive strikes to dry up the sources of drugs,” the ministry said.
Captagon is an addictive amphetamine often trafficked across the Middle East.
Last week, Dubai Police seized more than 14 million Captagon pills in an international operation with Kuwait.
The consignment was hidden inside sacks of corn and spread across five containers in a bid to avoid detection as it arrived in the “port of an Arab country”, authorities said.
A smuggling network was arrested by authorities in the UAE and Kuwait, leading to the detention of three men who were found unloading the sacks for storage.
