JEDDAH: Saudi security authorities have seized 8.35 million narcotic pills worth SR292.28 million, Maj. Gen. Mansour Al-Turki, spokesman at the Interior Ministry, said Sunday.
Speaking to the Saudi Press Agency, he said the Captagon pills were hidden in heavy equipment tires carried on a truck. He did not say when the seizure took place. Al-Turki did say, however, that three Saudis and three foreigners were arrested when the drugs were seized.
He emphasized the government’s determination to prevent attempts to smuggle drugs into the Kingdom. Saudi Arabia imposes capital punishment on drug smugglers and traffickers.
Al-Turki pointed out that information provided by the Kingdom had helped Turkish authorities to take action against the producers of Captagon tablets in that country. “On the basis of our information, Turkish security agencies raided a number of places in the country and found 30 tons of material, enough to produce 200 million Captagon pills with a market value of $1.6 billion,” he said.
Saudi Arabia has been a major target of drug traffickers and smugglers in the past few years. Last December, the Interior Ministry announced the arrest of 158 people, including 108 Saudis and 50 foreigners for alleged involvement in drug smuggling and trafficking.
Al-Turki said the arrests took place in three major operations which prevented 10.54 million Captagon tablets, 2,380 kilograms of hashish and 5.9 kilograms of heroin from entering the Kingdom.
