Dismantling the Drug Network and Involvement of Government Employees
Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Interior announced the uncovering and dismantling of a major drug smuggling and trafficking network in Riyadh, which involved 16 government employees.
A total of 21 individuals were arrested, including employees from the ministries of Interior, National Guard, Defense, Municipalities, and Justice, according to an official source.
Varied Roles of the Suspects
The roles of the suspects included:
- Smuggling drugs into the kingdom from abroad.
- Replacing confiscated narcotic substances with similar ones before their destruction.
- Transporting and trading narcotics.
- Destroying evidence related to drug cases.
- Leaking information about verdicts.
Crackdown on Drug Traffickers
In recent months, Saudi Arabia has intensified its efforts in the “war on drugs”, thwarting several drug trafficking attempts.
Recent Smuggling Attempts
Last month, the Zakat, Tax, and Customs Authority (ZATCA) announced the seizure of nearly 55 kg of cocaine hidden in a banana shipment at King Abdullah Port.
In September, Saudi anti-drug police foiled an attempt to smuggle 236 kg of cocaine in another banana shipment.
Captagon Seizures at Border Crossings
In August, Saudi authorities foiled an attempt to smuggle 349,710 Captagon pills hidden in tile-polishing equipment at the Jadidat Arar border crossing with Iraq.
