Saudi Arabia has thwarted an attempt to smuggle 141,831 Captagon pills into the Kingdom, the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported on Friday.
Captagon is a type of amphetamine-style stimulant fenethylline that continues to be manufactured, mostly in Lebanon and Syria, for illegal recreational use.
The Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority (ZATCA) found the pills in the luggage of two passengers who were traveling to the Kingdom on a bus through al-Haditha border crossing to perform umrah.
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The pills were hidden in plastic gallons containing olive oil.
ZATCA reiterated that it will continue to crack down on drug smuggling attempts to safeguard the Kingdom.
It also called on citizens and residents to contribute to combating drug smuggling by reporting any information that pertain to drug trafficking, adding that drug dealing tip-offs will be handled in complete confidentiality and a cash reward will be given if the information reported is accurate.
Authorities in the region have been cracking down on narcotics. In a strong stance against drug use, the Kingdom placed a ban on the import of fruit and vegetables from Lebanon in 2021 after Saudi Arabia’s Customs foiled an attempt to smuggle over five million pills of Captagon.
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