Saudi Arabia arrests 50 for attempting to smuggle hashish, khat, amphetamine pills

Saudi Arabia has thwarted attempts to smuggle drugs into the Kingdom and arrested 50 suspects, the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported on Wednesday.

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The smuggling attempts took place in the regions of Jazan, Najran, Asir, Makkah al-Mukarramah, and Tabuk.

Saudi Arabia arrests 50 for attempting to smuggle hashish, khat, amphetamine pills. (SPA)

The suspects attempted to smuggle 279,010 amphetamine pills, 330 kilograms of hashish, 39 tons and 934 kilograms of the narcotic plant khat.

Of the 50 suspected arrested, 27 were Saudi citizens, 10 were of Ethiopian nationality, six Bangladeshi, four Yemenis, two Somalis and one Indian, SPA reported.

Saudi Arabia arrests 50 for attempting to smuggle hashish, khat, amphetamine pills. (SPA)

The Zakat, Tax, and Customs authority (ZATCA) thwarted a drug smuggling attempt in mid-March which involved 1.6 million Captagon pills, a type of amphetamine-style stimulant fenethylline.

The Kingdom’s authorities have been heavily cracking down on narcotics and smuggling attempts.

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