Saudi-Lebanese operation foils smuggling of five million amphetamine pills

Co-operation between Riyadh and Beirut hailed after drugs found hidden in tableware

The pills were found in a shipment due to be routed through Georgia to Saudi Arabia, Lebanese media reported. SPA

A joint Saudi-Lebanese operation has thwarted an attempt to smuggle more than five million amphetamine pills.

The bust was made possible through intelligence gathered by the Saudi General Directorate of Narcotics Control, Interior Ministry security spokesman Col Talal bin Shalhoub said on Tuesday. The intelligence was shared with Lebanon’s Customs Anti-Narcotics Division, leading to the interception of the shipment.

Lebanese officials at the Beirut port seized a container holding the pills and arrested one suspect linked to the operation. The pills were concealed inside glass and porcelain tableware, loaded in a container that had originated in a third country before arriving in Lebanon.

According to Lebanese media, the smugglers intended to route the shipment through Georgia to Saudi Arabia. The reports added that the use of a transit country was meant to evade detection, particularly following a series of high-profile drug seizures involving direct shipments from Lebanon and Syria to Gulf states.

Col bin Shalhoub praised the “constructive co-operation” with Lebanese officials, emphasising that Saudi Arabia “remains steadfast in its commitment to dismantling criminal networks targeting the kingdom and its youth with narcotics”. He reaffirmed Riyadh’s determination to disrupt smuggling routes and bring those responsible to justice.

The operation highlights intensifying regional collaboration to confront the growing threat of amphetamine smuggling into the Gulf. 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 networks.

Lebanese Minister of Interior Ahmad Al Hajjar told the Saudi Al-Ikhbariya TV channel on Wednesday that Beirut was working “in close co-ordination with the relevant agencies in Saudi Arabia to eliminate drug trafficking”.

“The kingdom is Lebanon’s elder and caring brother, and we will not allow any harm to come to it,” added Mr Al Hajjar.

In 2019, Saudi Arabia was Lebanon’s largest market for agricultural exports, accounting for 22.1 per cent of total shipments, according to a Beirut government report. However, in April 2021, Riyadh suspended imports of Lebanese fruits and vegetables, citing repeated drug-smuggling attempts and accusing Lebanese authorities of failing to act.

Following Lebanese President Joseph Aoun’s visit to Saudi Arabia in March, during which he met Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, both sides agreed to examine the obstacles preventing the resumption of Lebanese exports to the kingdom and explore the possibility of restoring travel for Saudi citizens to Beirut.

Saudi Arabia has re-engaged diplomatically with Lebanon after years of estrangement, prompted largely by Iran’s expanding influence in Lebanese affairs through its support for Hezbollah – the armed group that has long held significant political and military sway in the country.

That dynamic began to shift in the aftermath of the war between Hezbollah and Israel, which concluded in November last year, ushering in a period of regional recalibration and renewed co-operation.