RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority has foiled two attempts to smuggle more than 27 kilograms of methamphetamine and 17,000 banned pills through Al-Batha Port.
The 27kg of methamphetamine had an estimated street value of roughly $1.4 million based on the 2019 price report of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime.
The drugs were found hidden in two trucks that arrived in the Kingdom through the port.
The authority said that advanced security techniques and sniffer dogs resulted in the seizure. The methamphetamine was discovered inside a fire extinguisher contained in one of the trucks. The 17,000 banned pills were hidden in different parts of another truck passing through the port.
The General Directorate for Narcotics Control apprehended the recipients of the seized cargo.
The authority said it is continuing to tighten customs control over the Kingdom’s imports and exports, and is conducting round-the-clock operations to prevent drug smuggling and improve security in Saudi Arabia.
