In a groundbreaking operation, Jazan police seized seven stolen cars which were being used to smuggle qat within a record time of 48 hours.

Police officers in Samita stopped a 1989 model Chevrolet Caprice, which they later discovered to be stolen and retrieved 864 packets of qat from the vehicle. Suspicions about the car arose when the police noticed that the number plate had been replaced.

Two hours later, the police halted a Hyundai Accent carrying 64 bundles of the weed following a hot pursuit through a village near Samita.

In a related development, officers at the Balghazi police station stopped a van stolen from the town of Sabya and recovered 50g of qat from the vehicle. In another operation police patrols at Balghazi seized 200 packets of qat from some Africans who were attempting to smuggle it across the border.

On the following day, a Land Cruiser which was stolen from the Al-Eidabi governorate was intercepted along with another car stolen from Jazan later on the same day. The Darb police also reported a stolen car in Rejal Almai in the space of 24 hours.

In separate operations in Jazan police forces seized a car carrying 50 African infiltrators. They also arrested 50 Arab nationals who were attempting to enter the Kingdom without legal documents while seven expatriates were arrested for carrying 41 kg of prohibited items.

Director of Jazan police Maj. Gen. Nassir Al-Dowaisy thanked the police officers for their diligence in discharging their duty and urged them to continue their hard work.