JEDDAH: The General Directorate of Narcotics Control revealed on Wednesday that it has foiled an attempt to smuggle more than 3.5 million amphetamine pills, which were found hidden in a shipment of building materials at Jeddah Islamic Port.

The Saudi Ministry of Interior said that three Turkish suspects were arrested, two of whom are residents in the Kingdom. The third had arrived in the country on a visitor’s visa. They have been referred to the Public Prosecution. The operation was carried out in cooperation with the Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority, the ministry added.

Last month, Saudi authorities thwarted a similar plot to smuggle more than 403,000 pills and arrested two suspects. In that case, Maj. Mohammed Al-Nujaidi, spokesperson for the General Directorate of Narcotics Control, said security officials who monitor drug smuggling and distribution networks that target the Kingdom found the pills in Jeddah, hidden in a shipment of fake, plastic bean pods. A Syrian national and a Saudi citizen in Jeddah were referred to the Public Prosecution in connection with the case, he added.

The Ministry of Interior’s security forces continue to work with the Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority to uncover plots to smuggle narcotics into the Kingdom and catch those responsible, Al-Nujaidi said.