Border authorities foil smuggling of over 1.5 million narcotic pills bound for Saudi Arabia
Saudi Gazette Report
AL-WADIAH — The Yemeni border authorities announced the foiling of a huge cache of narcotic pills bound for Saudi Arabia from Sana'a. More than 1.5 million narcotic pills were seized hidden inside the roof of a refrigerated truck at the Saudi-Yemeni border crossing.
Brig. Gen. Omair Al-Azab, commander of the Border Security and Protection Battalion at Al-Wadiah Border Crossing, said that the drugs were found tightly hidden in a refrigerated truck. 'The seizure took place at the 'weapons checkpoint' before the border crossing checkpoint, after the checkpoint personnel became suspicious of the truck. They searched it meticulously, which led to the discovery of the hidden drugs, he said.
"The truck driver admitted during initial investigations that the shipment of narcotic pills belonged to drug dealers in the Yemeni capital, Sana'a, and that his mission was limited to delivering them to the city of Sharurah in Saudi Arabia, and handing them over to another person whose identity is unknown to him. The seized items were confiscated from the driver and handed to the competent authorities to take the necessary legal measures," the official Yemeni news agency Saba reported quoting Brig. Gen. Al-Azab as saying.
For his part, Saleh Al-Baydani, advisor at the Yemen Embassy in Riyadh, warned that the seizure of these drug shipments coming from Houthi-controlled areas could be a dangerous indicator of the relocation of Captagon manufacturing and smuggling activities to Sana'a.
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Asharq Al-Awsat
a day ago
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Yemen Busts Attempt to Smuggle over 1.5 Million Narcotic Pills into Saudi Arabia
Yemen's border authorities announced on Thursday that they busted an attempt to smuggle over 1.5 million narcotic pills from the Houthi-held capital Sanaa to Saudi Arabia. Officials suspect that such large amounts of narcotics is an indication that the Captagon industry and the manufacturing of other drugs could have moved from Syria to Yemeni regions held by the Iran-backed Houthi militias. The Captagon industry had thrived for years under the now ousted regime of President Bashar al-Assad. He was overthrown by opposition factions in December. Iranian militias had used the Captagon trade to finance their operations in Syria. Head of security at the Wadiah border crossing Omair al-Azab said the drugs were concealed inside a cooling truck. Security forces at the crossing were suspicious of the truck and they searched it thoroughly, leading to the bust, he added. During preliminary investigations, the truck driver confessed that the pills belonged to a smuggler in Sanaa, continued Azab. He was tasked with delivering the illicit cargo to a person, whose identity he did not know, in the Saudi city of Sharurah. He revealed that authorities have foiled several drug smuggling attempts in recent months. They seized a ton of cannabis, 15,000 Captagon pills, four kilograms of methamphetamine, and 27,300 other pills. In February, over three tons of different drugs, seized during various busts, were destroyed in the presence of representatives of concerned Yemeni and Saudi authorities, he added. Drugs smuggling gangs resort to innovative ways to conceal their illicit cargo, such as hiding them in watermelons, spare tires and the front seats of vehicles, Azab said. Security forces at the border will remain on alert for any suspicious activity and to defend the nation, he vowed. Attache at the Yemen Embassy in Riyadh Saleh al-Baidhani warned that such smuggling attempts may be a sign that Captagon was now being manufactured by the Houthis in Yemen. This demands intensified border security and greater security cooperation between the legitimate Yemeni government and Saudi authorities, he told Asharq Al-Awsat. He confirmed that trucks smuggling drugs were coming from areas held by the Houthis. Baidhani slammed the drug trade that is 'destroying Arab youth'.
Saudi Gazette
a day ago
- Saudi Gazette
Border authorities foil smuggling of over 1.5 million narcotic pills bound for Saudi Arabia
Saudi Gazette Report AL-WADIAH — The Yemeni border authorities announced the foiling of a huge cache of narcotic pills bound for Saudi Arabia from Sana'a. More than 1.5 million narcotic pills were seized hidden inside the roof of a refrigerated truck at the Saudi-Yemeni border crossing. Brig. Gen. Omair Al-Azab, commander of the Border Security and Protection Battalion at Al-Wadiah Border Crossing, said that the drugs were found tightly hidden in a refrigerated truck. 'The seizure took place at the 'weapons checkpoint' before the border crossing checkpoint, after the checkpoint personnel became suspicious of the truck. They searched it meticulously, which led to the discovery of the hidden drugs, he said. "The truck driver admitted during initial investigations that the shipment of narcotic pills belonged to drug dealers in the Yemeni capital, Sana'a, and that his mission was limited to delivering them to the city of Sharurah in Saudi Arabia, and handing them over to another person whose identity is unknown to him. The seized items were confiscated from the driver and handed to the competent authorities to take the necessary legal measures," the official Yemeni news agency Saba reported quoting Brig. Gen. Al-Azab as saying. For his part, Saleh Al-Baydani, advisor at the Yemen Embassy in Riyadh, warned that the seizure of these drug shipments coming from Houthi-controlled areas could be a dangerous indicator of the relocation of Captagon manufacturing and smuggling activities to Sana'a.
Saudi Gazette
a day ago
- Saudi Gazette
Over 2,400 smugglers arrested with huge cache of narcotics in Saudi anti-drug crackdown
Saudi Gazette report RIYADH — The General Directorate of Border Guard has successfully foiled major drug smuggling attempts across the Saudi regions of Tabuk, Jazan, Asir, Najran, Makkah, Madinah, and the Eastern Province. These security operations resulted in the seizure of 2,756,806 amphetamine tablets, 1,944,230 tablets subject to medical circulation regulations, four tons of hashish, and 180 tons of khat. In connection with these seizures, 2,411 individuals were arrested, and they include 1,518 Ethiopian nationals; 842 Yemenis; seven Sudanese; six Eritreans; three Somalis; two Pakistanis, and 33 Saudi citizens. This comes as part of the Ministry of Interior's anti-drug mission and its efforts to monitor drug smuggling and trafficking activities that target the security of the Kingdom and its youth. The ministry urged all citizens and residents to report any information related to drug smuggling or promotion. Reports can be made by calling over the number 911 in Makkah, Madinah, Riyadh, and the Eastern Province or the number 999 in other regions. Reports can be made via the General Directorate of Border Guard's number 994, the General Directorate of Narcotics Control's number 995, or by emailing 995@ All reports will be treated with complete confidentiality, the ministry said.
