Several arrests made in drug crackdown across Saudi Arabia

Border Guard patrols in the Al-Raboah sector of the Asir region arrested 14 Ethiopians for smuggling 260 kg of qat. (@BG994)
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Updated 11 June 2025
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Several arrests made in drug crackdown across Saudi Arabia

  • Border Guard patrols in the Al-Raboah sector of the Asir region arrested 14 Ethiopians for smuggling 260 kg of qat
  • In a separate incident, four Ethiopians were arrested for smuggling 28 kg of qat in Al-Farsha governorate

RIYADH: Saudi authorities have made numerous drug-related arrests throughout the Kingdom, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday.

Border Guard patrols in the Al-Raboah sector of the Asir region arrested 14 Ethiopians for smuggling 260 kg of qat. In a separate incident, four Ethiopians were arrested for smuggling 28 kg of qat in Al-Farsha governorate.

Security patrols in Asir also arrested a citizen with 11 kg of qat in the same governorate.

In the Al-Dayer sector of the Jazan region, authorities thwarted an attempt to smuggle 600 kg of qat. In another case, Border Guard patrols arrested an Ethiopian trying to smuggle 80 kg of qat.

The General Directorate of Mujahideen in Jazan arrested two citizens for selling hashish, while the General Directorate of Narcotics Control arrested two Pakistanis and an Indonesian in Jeddah with 1.5 kg of methamphetamine, locally known as shabu.

A citizen was also arrested in the Baha region for selling amphetamine.

Preliminary legal procedures have been completed for all individuals, and the seized narcotics have been handed over to the authorities.

The Saudi government urges anyone with information about smuggling or customs offenses to call the confidential hotline 1910, the international number +966114208417, or email [email protected].

All information is treated with strict confidentiality. Financial rewards are offered for valid information.


Saudi wildlife authority releases predatory birds in Al-Soudah Park

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Saudi wildlife authority releases predatory birds in Al-Soudah Park

  • Aim to reintroduce, breed threatened wildlife
  • Birds were acclimatized to area’s environment

LONDON: Saudi Arabia’s National Center for Wildlife has released several predatory birds into the wild under the Kingdom’s Green Initiative and the National Environment Strategy to breed and reintroduce threatened species.

On Wednesday, the NCW released them in Al-Soudah Park in collaboration with the Soudah Development Co. They included three griffon vultures, a black kite, Arabian scops owl, and a Eurasian sparrowhawk, all of which had been rehabilitated.

The birds underwent acclimatization to ensure they were ready to adapt to the area’s environment. Their release aims to enhance ecological balance and restore biodiversity in Al-Soudah Park, one of the Kingdom’s most prominent mountainous environmental zones.

They will help stabilize local species in mountain ecosystems by regulating food chains and maintaining habitat health, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The NCW will track the movement and behavior of the birds. It noted that this initiative is a part of ongoing programs across Saudi Arabia.