ZATCA thwarts massive captagon smuggling attempt at Al-Haditha border

Saudi Customs Authority foil smuggling attempt of captagon pills hidden in food consignment. (Al-Ekhbariya News)
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Updated 30 January 2026
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ZATCA thwarts massive captagon smuggling attempt at Al-Haditha border

  • Following the seizure, ZATCA coordinated with the General Directorate of Narcotics Control, leading to the arrest of two individuals

RIYADH: The Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority at the Al-Haditha border crossing intercepted an attempt to smuggle 269,411 captagon pills hidden in a commercial food consignment during a routine inspection.

The authority thwarted the attempt to smuggle the contraband using advanced security technologies, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Following the seizure, ZATCA coordinated with the General Directorate of Narcotics Control, leading to the arrest of two individuals intended to receive the shipment in the Kingdom.

ZATCA spokesperson Hamoud Al-Harbi reaffirmed the authority’s commitment to tightening border security as a core strategic pillar to protect society from the prohibited goods.

The authority encourages the public to support national security by reporting smuggling activities via the confidential number 1910 or email at [email protected].

Through these channels, the authority receives information related to smuggling crimes and violations of the Unified Customs Law with complete confidentiality, and a financial reward is granted to those providing the tip-off if the information is accurate.

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Princess Reema’s Wave unveils ocean regeneration platform

Updated 6 sec ago
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Princess Reema’s Wave unveils ocean regeneration platform

  • Upgraded platform provides deeper, more comprehensive data on the state of the world’s oceans and the impact of human activity
  • Features an enhanced user experience, including an integrated tool powered by artificial intelligence

JEDDAH: Wave, powered by the Future Investment Initiative Institute and founded by Princess Reema Bandar Al-Saud, has unveiled version 2.0 of its Ocean Central data platform, oceancentral.org.

The upgraded platform provides deeper, more comprehensive data on the state of the world’s oceans and the impact of human activity.

It features an enhanced user experience, including an integrated tool powered by artificial intelligence, to guide users through queries and analysis. A new ocean news section also offers English-language summaries of the latest ocean-related developments and reports from around the world.

“The evolution of Ocean Central moves us a step closer to our collective goal of ‘Ocean Regeneration within a Human Generation’,” said Princess Reema.

“The future of our oceans depends on advances in accurate data, allocating resources more strategically and making informed decisions that protect marine environments, and Ocean Central plays an important role in enabling us to focus efforts.”

The enhanced platform will be on show at the 13th annual World Ocean Summit, organized by Economist Impact, which takes place in Montreal from March 4-5. The event brings together international government ministers, policymakers, investors and business leaders from sectors including shipping, energy and tourism.

The platform integrates global targets from the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the Paris Agreement. It monitors progress towards these goals, highlights successful initiatives and identifies critical knowledge gaps.

Wave is a collective action platform dedicated to restoring a thriving ocean by 2050. Powered by the Future Investment Initiative Institute, it delivers targeted interventions across four pillars — engagement, insights, sectoral activation and innovation — to advance ocean regeneration.