RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority at the Haditha port has thwarted three attempts to smuggle more than 539,000 Captagon pills the agency said in a press statement.
The drugs were found hidden in two trucks and a vehicle that came to the Kingdom through the port.
The drugs haul had a combined estimated street value of approximately $5.390m to $13.475m according to research published in the International Addiction Review Journal, which said users paid in the range of $10-$25 a pill.
The authority stated that in the first attempt, 187,200 Captagon pills were found hidden in separate parts of one of the trucks coming through the port.
In another case the narcotics were found hidden inside the wheel of one of the vehicles coming through the port.
Amphetamines are largely used by young men and teenaged boys across the Middle East, and the money raised through the sale of all narcotics are usually ploughed back into the drug trade although some find their way into organized crime and terrorism.
The Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority confirmed that it is continuing to tighten customs control over the Kingdom’s imports and exports, and is “standing in the way of smuggling attempts, in order to achieve the security of society and protect it from these pests,” the statement added.
At the same time, the authority called on all people to help in the fight against smuggling by contacting it on the number designated for security reports 1910 or via e-mail: [email protected], or the international number +966 11 420 8417.
keywords
