JEDDAH, 4 September 2006 — Anti-narcotic police have foiled an attempt by two people of Arab origin to smuggle more than half a million speed pills, estimated to have a street value of SR13 million, into the Kingdom hidden in a truck.
The two men were arrested at the Halat Amr border point in northern Saudi Arabia in a truck carrying vegetable oil. Officers say that 140,000 speed pills were hidden in holes in the back of the truck and that 450,000 speed pills were concealed in two iron boxes in the truck.
Speed pills are widely abused in the Kingdom and a single pill can be sold for anything between SR10 and SR15. Drug dealers tend to target young Saudis saying that the pills would help them concentrate in their studies and strengthen their memory.
Informed sources told Arab News that the two smugglers would be made to appear in a court after the investigations are concluded. If convicted, they face more than five years in jail and a heavy fine. On completion of their prison term, they will be deported and banned from entering the Kingdom again, the sources said.
The Saudi government has taken various measures to strengthen security at entry points to prevent smugglers bringing drugs and alcohol in to the country.
In the past years, authorities have intercepted many smugglers. The latest arrests come as a result of Saudi Border Guards using specialist technology and software to discover hidden drugs.
Drug experts say that speed pills make people vigorous and stimulate their nervous system. But people who are addicted usually stay awake and can live without eating and sleeping for long periods. Addicts also start feeling confused and in most cases develop symptoms of aggressiveness and isolate themselves from other people.
