MANAMA, 24 May 2004 — Bahrain police fortuitously seized more than three million Captagon pills hidden in tomato sauce cans last week while on the trail of a gang of door thieves.

The public prosecutor has ordered three Bahrainis to be held for seven days while the search for two prime movers — a Bahraini and a Turk — in connection with the import of the amphetamine-like drug continues.

Investigation suggests the fugitive Bahraini agreed to use his commercial registration to help the Turk import the drugs by sea from Turkey.

The pills were stored at the Bahraini’s house but when he and his accomplice fell out, the Turk tried to recover some of the drugs, raising the suspicion of the Bahraini’s brother.

On discovering the drugs, the brother threatened to call the police if they were not removed from the house, prompting the Bahraini suspect to move them elsewhere without telling their owner.

However, following press reports that a restaurant worker had found drugs in a tomato sauce can, the Bahraini suspect hired three men drive the pills from Sitra to Manama.

Unluckily for him, police had increased patrols in Sitra in a drive to apprehend a separate gang of door thieves who also used trucks to transport their loot.

On stopping the vehicle at 11:30 p.m. on Tuesday they seized 800 bags containing the cans and a small amount of hashish.

The 21-year-old driver and his two companions, aged 19 and 21, were taken to the Mina Salman Security Directorate where their cargo of 29 cartons was inspected. They claimed to have no idea of the contents. Each can was found to contain 300 Captagon pills. Police discovered the cargo was headed for an apartment off Exhibition Road where the rest of the consignment was found. Police also arrested a man said to have hired the driver.

Sources told the Tribune newspaper that police raided a restaurant in Sitra, where the Turkish man worked, on Wednesday and found yet more tomato sauce cans. In all 29 cartons were seized, each containing six boxes with 14 bags of 1,000 pills, in addition to 11 cases of 73 plastic bags and 3,800 pills, bringing the total to more than three million pills.

Captagon is the trademark name of Fenethylline, one of the most popular drugs among the young affluent population in the Middle East. Since legal production of Captagon stopped, the stimulant has been clandestinely produced in southern Europe and trafficked through Turkey to consumer markets in the region.