RIYADH: Authorities in Saudi Arabia have arrested 70 people accused of trying to smuggle close to 70 tons of the stimulant khat and 618 kg of hashish into the Kingdom, news agency SPA reported on Wednesday.
Col. Misfer Al-Quraini, a spokesperson for the General Directorate of the Border Guard, said land patrols thwarted multiple smuggling attempts in the Najran, Jazan and Asir regions.
Of those arrested, 33 were Saudi citizens, 20 were Ethiopian and 17 were Yemeni nationals, he said.
Initial legal procedures against the suspects had been completed and the contraband had been passed to the relevant authorities, he added.
