Sun 23 July 2023:
Authorities in Saudi Arabia seized more than six million narcotic pills concealed in sweets and nuts from a shipment coming from Oman and arrested a Saudi and a Syrian national on the charges of carrying them, local media reported on Saturday, Reuters reports.
More than six million Captagon tablets hidden in sweets, citrus, and nuts were seized in an operation carried out in coordination with Oman police, the Saudi state news agency SPA reported, citing Marwan Al-Hazimi, spokesperson for the General Directorate of Narcotics Control.
A Saudi and a Syrian national from Oman were allegedly carrying the drugs and were arrested in the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh.
Meanwhile, Saudi authorities detained several people and seized a large amount of drugs from their possessions, as Al-Hazimi pledges that the operation against criminal elements will continue throughout the country.
Earlier this month Saudi authorities thwarted an attempt to smuggle 130,635 captagon pills into the Kingdom through the Al Haditha land border crossing,
The suspects attempted to smuggle the pills by concealing the drugs inside a vehicle, the Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority (ZATCA) announced. The pills were hidden in boxes containing cheese covered with thyme when inspecting the vehicle.
ZATCA said two people were arrested after completing the seizure process in coordination with the General Directorate of Narcotics Control (GDNC).
Saudi Arabia regularly announces seizures of Captagon.
The drug is known to come from Syria and transits through Lebanon in cargo such as fruit and vegetables.
The vast majority of Captagon, which derives its name from a once legal drug against narcolepsy, is produced in Syria and Lebanon.
Captagon is a highly addictive amphetamine-type stimulant whose trade has helped provide a financial lifeline to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government during the country’s long-running war, according to experts. The government denies any organised involvement in the trade.
SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES
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