JEDDAH: Customs authorities at Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah Airport have seized and foiled five attempts to smuggle 822 grams of heroin into the Kingdom, as well as an amount of the illegal drug “shabu” methamphetamine pills weighing over 1,700 grams.
Customs Director Bandar Al-Raheeli said that the quantity of drugs were seized through five smuggling attempts, noting that some of the contraband was found inside a female passenger’s stomach during a routine inspection.
Authorities recovered 81 heroin capsules from the passenger’s stomach, carrying in total 589 grams of the banned drug.
Al-Raheeli also said that more heroin capsules were seized in another smuggling attempt using the same method, during which 32 capsules of the drug were discovered inside the stomach of another passenger who was arriving in the Kingdom.
He explained that the procedures of smuggling contraband inside an individual’s stomach is widely used by drug smugglers to illicitly enter drugs like heroin and cocaine into the Kingdom.
He praised the customs inspectors’ ability to read body language, in addition to the technique used to inspect individual’s bowels to prevent the entry of illegal drugs.
He also said that customs officials also foiled three other attempts to smuggle a quantity of the illegal “shabu” drug weighing 1,720.10 grams, which were hidden in the hand luggage of three different passengers coming to the Kingdom.
Jeddah Airport customs foil five attempts to smuggle drugs into Saudi Arabia
Jeddah Airport customs foil five attempts to smuggle drugs into Saudi Arabia
- Customs Director Bandar Al-Raheeli said that the quantity of drugs were seized through five smuggling attempts
- Authorities recovered 81 heroin capsules from the passenger’s stomach, carrying in total 589 grams of the banned drug
Saudi-Yemen program provides $81.2m to operate more than 70 power plants
- Grant will improve reliability of electrical power to critical facilities, including hospitals, medical centers, roads, schools, airports and ports
- Move follows last week’s announcement by the SDRPY of a larger aid package totaling $506 million to support Yemen
LONDON: A tripartite agreement was signed on Wednesday between the Saudi Development and Reconstruction Program for Yemen, the oil company Petromasila, and Yemen’s Ministry of Energy and Electricity to supply petroleum derivatives for the country’s power plants.
SDRPY is supporting the Yemeni government with an $81.2 million grant to purchase 339 million liters of diesel and mazut from Petromasila to operate more than 70 power plants across various Yemeni governorates.
The grant follows last week’s announcement by the SDRPY of a $506 million aid package to support Yemen’s education, health, government and infrastructure sectors.
The SDRPY highlighted that the grant will improve the reliability of electrical power to critical facilities, including hospitals, medical centers, roads, schools, airports and ports. Additionally, the funding will stimulate the Yemeni economy and support the Central Bank of Yemen by easing the pressure on foreign exchange reserves.
It reduces the Ministry of Finance’s fuel-related financial burden and supports the Ministry of Electricity and Energy in improving the efficiency of power plants in Yemen, the SDRPY said.
In 2018, the SDRPY provided $180 million, in addition to $422 million in 2021 and another $200 million in 2022, as grants to Yemen to purchase oil derivatives and operate vital sectors of the country.
