Over 1,000 Smuggling Attempts Foiled In A Week, Says Saudi Arabia
Saudi customs authorities have announced foiling more than 1,000 smuggling attempts at different outlets of the country in one week.
The contraband included narcotic and prohibited substances, and cash exceeding the permitted limits, the Saudi Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority (Zatca) has said.
It added that officers posted at different customs clearance points had busted a total of 1,071 smuggling bids that included 68 cases of narcotic substances. Other seizures included prohibited items and smuggled cash, the value of which was not given.
Zatca said in a statement that the seizures are part of an all-out strategy to consolidate security control on border outlets in coordination with relevant authorities in the kingdom to confront all aspects of smuggling.
Saudi Arabia has stepped up its crackdown on narcotics smugglers in what is dubbed the 'war on drugs', and has reported a string of aborted attempts over the past months.
In February, Saudi anti-drug police said they had thwarted an attempt to smuggle 11.1 million amphetamine drug tablets hidden in a food shipment.
The General Directorate of Narcotics Control seized the haul at the King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam in eastern Saudi Arabia.
The bust was conducted in coordination with Zatca, and followed by the apprehension of two recipients of the shipment.
In January, Zatca said its personnel had foiled an attempt to smuggle 1.4 million Captagon drug pills hidden inside a shipment that had arrived at the Red Sea port of Jeddah.
When the shipment, a machine used to spin laundry, was subjected to customs procedures, the haul was found inside.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Gulf Insider
2 days ago
- Gulf Insider
Saudi Arabia Arrests Over 11,500 Violators Of Laws, Deports 9,215 In One Week
Saudi authorities has arrested11,657 illegal residents were over the past week as part of the Kingdom's ongoing crackdown on residency and labour law violators, the Ministry of Interior announced on Sunday. The arrests were made during the joint campaigns carried out by the security forces between May 29 and June 4, in collaboration with the relevant government agencies. According to the ministry, the detainees included 6,981 violators of the Residency Law, 3,190 violators of the Border Security Law, and 1,486 violators of the Labour Law. Of these, 9,215 violators were deported while 12,122 were referred to their diplomatic missions to obtain travel documents and 1,435 were referred to complete their travel reservations. Some 17,018 illegal residents, including 15,991 men and 1,027 women, are currently undergoing various phases of legal procedures as part of punitive measures against them. The ministry reiterated its warning that any person, who facilitates the illegal entry of individuals into the Kingdom, transports them on its territory, provides them with shelter or any other assistance or service may be penalised with up to 15 years in prison and a fine of up to SR1 million, and that the vehicles used for transportation or houses used for giving shelter will be confiscated. The ministry urged the public to report violation by calling the number 911 in the regions of Mecca, Riyadh, and the Eastern Province and the numbers 999 and 996 in the Kingdom's other regions.
Gulf Insider
3 days ago
- Gulf Insider
Interior Ministry Penalizes 49 People For Transporting 197 Unauthorized Pilgrims
The Ministry of Interior has penalized as many as 49 people for violation of Hajj rules and regulations. The ministry said that the Hajj Security Forces have arrested 18 expatriates and 31 Saudi citizens at the entry points to Makkah while transporting 197 individuals who did not hold permits to perform Hajj. The ministry issued administrative rulings through the seasonal administrative committees against the transporters, accomplices, and unauthorized pilgrims. Penalties include imprisonment, fines of up to SR100,000, publicizing names of the violators in the local media at their own expense, deportation of expatriates with a 10-year re-entry ban after serving of the sentence, and legal proceedings for the confiscation of vehicles used in the violations. Unauthorized pilgrims face fines of up to SR20,000. In a related incident, Hajj Security Forces arrested 58 individuals for violating Hajj regulations by attempting to enter the city of Makkah without the required permits to perform the pilgrimage. They were referred to the competent authorities to slap the prescribed penalties. The ministry urged all citizens and residents to strictly adhere to Hajj regulations in order to ensure the safety and security of pilgrims during the performance of their rituals.
Gulf Insider
6 days ago
- Gulf Insider
Man Jailed For Illegal Hajj Pilgrimage Operation
A Saudi resident has been jailed for a year for setting up an illegal Hajj operation with the intention of obtaining funds through deception via social media. The public prosecution referred the defendant to the criminal court after he was found in possession of receipts connecting him to the criminal operation. A preliminary ruling sentenced him to one year in prison and imposed a 10,000 riyal ($2,666) fine, along with the confiscation of all devices and tools used in the crime. The public prosecution said the creation of fake Hajj operations was a major crime punishable by detention and added that it would continue to pursue those who broke Hajj regulations. Meanwhile, Hajj security forces arrested 36 residents who tried to enter Makkah without the correct permits. They were referred to the relevant authority.
