JEDDAH: Saudi Border Guards on Wednesday arrested two Egyptians as they tried to smuggle narcotic drugs into the Kingdom on board a jet ski.
Colonel Saher bin Mohammad Al-Harbi, spokesman for the Border Guards, said the smugglers were spotted though the electronic monitoring systems entering the Kingdom’s waters near Al-Bada in the northwestern region of Tabuk.
Marine patrols then intercepted the riders and arrested them after finding in their possession over 700,000 amphetamine pills in three plastic containers and a bag.
The campaign against drug trafficking remains a big challenge for Saudi authorities despite the relentless crackdown that has led to the arrest of 1,628 suspects in the last six months in drug-related cases.
During that period, a total of 21,429,859 Captagon pills, 19,612 kilos of hashish, 12,933 kilograms of pure heroin, and 218.948 kilograms of cocaine were seized in various locations in the Kingdom, a recent report by the Ministry of Interior said.
Of the 1,628 arrested suspects, 589 were Saudis and 1,039 were from 41 different countries.
Sixteen police officers were injured and five suspects were killed and 14 were wounded in the confrontations and raids conducted to foil the drug smuggling attempts or to make arrests.
2 Egyptians arrested trying to smuggle drugs using jet skis in Tabuk
2 Egyptians arrested trying to smuggle drugs using jet skis in Tabuk
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‘Cake not hate’ campaign becomes ‘Dates not hate’ in Madinah
- Dan said he was very impressed by Saudi hospitality and that his family was warmly welcomed
- He said being in Madinah exposed him to the true diversity of Islam
LONDON: A British autistic and non-verbal boy who has been visiting UK mosques and distributing cakes to promote solidarity amid an increase in far-right support in the country has taken his message of love to Madinah.
Joshua Harris, or “The Joshie-Man” as the 12-year-old is known to his social media fans, has handed out hundreds of his baked goods to worshipers at mosques in major British cities over the last few months.
The “Cake not hate” campaign came about after an Islamophobic attack on a mosque in his home city of Peterborough in October 2025.
Harris and his father visited Masjid Darassalaam, the mosque that was targeted, with cakes that the boy had baked and distributed them to the congregation soon after the attack. Since then, Harris has visited dozens of mosques in the UK.
On a recent trip to the Middle East, he and his father visited Madinah. In a local twist that pays tribute to the holy city’s famous date varieties including ajwa and ambar, Harris handed out dates to people in the courtyard of the Prophet’s Mosque. The “Cake not hate” campaign became “Dates not hate” for Saudi Arabia.
“He was greeted really, really warmly. There were some really touching moments where people were kissing his hands and his head. It was really lovely,” his father, Dan Harris, said.
Dan, the founder of global charity Neurodiversity in Business, said being in Madinah exposed him to the true diversity of Islam.
“We met people from all around the world. It was amazing. It’s like the United Nations there, you get people from different countries and it just goes to show you that the Muslim community, or the Ummah more generally, is not a homogeneous group,” he said.
“We saw people from Tajikistan and Uzbekistan and it was really interesting for us.”
Dan said his visit to Madinah, considered the second holiest city in Islam after Makkah for Muslims, was “profound and life-changing.”
He added: “I would say it’s my favourite city in the world due to the peace and tranquillity I felt there.”
Dan added that he was very impressed by Saudi hospitality: “Everywhere we went, people were taking down my number and insisting that we come for dinner, insisting they pick us up from the location. They were extremely attentive to Joshie as well, making sure his needs were met. We felt a great sense of welcome, something Saudi Arabia is known for.”
