RIYADH: Security patrols in south-west Saudi Arabia’s foiled an attempt to smuggle 55 kilograms of hashish into the Kingdom
The drugs were hidden in a vehicle belonging to a company registered in Jazan, the Ministry of Interior said on Sunday.
The driver, a Sudanese national, was arrested.
Meanwhile, Saudi border guards said they had managed to thwart attempts to smuggle 16,650 tons of hash, 685 tons of khat, and almost 1.4 million amphetamine tablets in the year ending August 2020.
More than 5,000 people suspected of smuggling and transporting the narcotics across the Kingdom’s borders during that time were arrested.
Saudi border guards’ spokesperson, Lt. Col. Mesfer bin Ghanam Al-Quraini said they seized 2,183 different weapons, around 800,000 rounds of ammunition, and more than 60 items of explosives.
Border guards also stopped almost 45,000 people entering the Kingdom illegally in those 12 months.
“The border guards are continuing with determination and firmness to protect the security of the Kingdom’s borders from every attempt targeting its security, stability and capabilities,” Lt. Col. Al-Quraini said.
Saudi Arabia thwarts several bids to smuggle tons of drugs in 2020
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Saudi Arabia thwarts several bids to smuggle tons of drugs in 2020
- Security officials in Jazan foiled attempt to smuggle 55kg of hashish
- Border guards also stopped almost 45,000 people entering the Kingdom illegally
Rare sighting of critically endangered leatherback turtle in Red Sea
- Turtles travel thousands of kilometers to Red Sea
- Nesting 6,500km away in India’s Andaman Islands
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s National Center for Wildlife has documented a rare sighting of a leatherback sea turtle in the Red Sea, marking a significant biological record for one of the planet’s most critically endangered marine species.
The sighting occurred approximately 30 km off the coast of Al-Qunfudhah within the Blue Holes Protected Area, a newly established marine reserve, according to a recent report from the Saudi Press Agency.
The NCW said the presence of a leatherback in these waters was an exceptional event.
Recognized as the largest turtle species on Earth, the leatherback can weigh up to 900 kilograms. It has a unique leathery, black carapace — distinguished by five longitudinal ridges rather than a hard bony shell — and able to dive to depths exceeding 1,000 meters.
Noting the species’ migratory nature, the center explained that leatherbacks travel thousands of kilometers foraging for jellyfish. The specimen likely navigated through the Bab Al-Mandeb Strait in search of food.
This is considered a remarkable journey, the NCW said, noting that the nearest known populations reside in the Indian Ocean, spanning waters from South Africa to Sri Lanka (roughly 7,000 to 8,000 km away).
The closest known nesting grounds are located in India’s Andaman Islands, approximately 6,500 kilometers away. No nesting activity has been recorded in the Red Sea.
According to the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the leatherback is Critically Endangered in the Indian Ocean.
While data for the Red Sea and Arabian Gulf is scarce, recent isolated sightings include a juvenile recorded in Jordan in December 2025 and another off Djibouti in 2019.
The NCW emphasized that these rare appearances highlight the ecological importance of the Kingdom's marine conservation efforts in the Red Sea.
The center pointed to the Farasan Islands Marine Protected Area, along with the new Blue Holes and Ras Hatiba reserves, as critical sanctuaries that could support the expansion in range of such endangered species.
