AL-LITH: The Border Guards on Friday foiled an attempt to smuggle more than 2 million amphetamine tablets.
“There was an attempt to smuggle more than 2 million amphetamine tablets off the coast of Duba in the Tabuk Province,” Border Guards spokesman Col. Saher Al-Harbi was quoted as saying by Al-Hayat newspaper.
“A boat was identified and followed when it entered Saudi waters, and the people on board threw plastic bags into the water near the beach, northeast of Duba,” Al-Harbi said. “Soon they were apprehended. They were three Egyptian nationals on board the boat and there was a Saudi waiting for them on the shore where the plastic bags were dropped.”
He said the bags were fished out of the water, and after searching them, the guards found a total of 2,300,260 amphetamine tables and 9 kilograms of hashish in two bags. The contraband was confiscated and the smugglers were arrested.
In another incident, a rescue team of the Border Guards in Makkah on Friday fished out the body of two people, who drowned in the sea near Al-Lith, after a prolonged search.
The Border Guards earlier received a report of some individuals drowning off Lith Corniche and a team was dispatched to commence rescue operations. It became clear that five individuals had been swimming and fishing in an area where such activities are not permitted. The site of the accident is a lagoon, which a company uses for shrimp farming. Two of the individuals had drowned and their bodies were brought to shore.
In a statement issued later, the Border Guards advised beachgoers not to swim in the sea, except in specified areas where it is permitted.
Bid to smuggle 2m amphetamine tablets into Kingdom foiled
Bid to smuggle 2m amphetamine tablets into Kingdom foiled
