Customs Seizes 1.95M Amphetamine Pills at Al-Haditha

Saudi customs authorities foiled an attempt to smuggle 1,950,581 amphetamine pills that had been concealed inside a shipment declared as lentils aboard an incoming truck at the Al-Haditha border crossing. The Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority (ZATCA) uncovered the narcotics during routine inspection procedures.

The pills were hidden inside bags of lentils within the truck's cargo in an attempt to bring them into the Kingdom through the Al-Haditha land port. Officials said the seizure was made possible through advanced security screening technologies, including scanning systems and other detection methods used during customs inspection.

Following the discovery and seizure, ZATCA coordinated with the General Directorate of Narcotics Control to take further security and legal measures against those linked to the smuggling attempt. Seized narcotics are confiscated and destroyed under the supervision of the competent security and judicial authorities.

Why it matters

Amphetamine, including Captagon-type pills, is classified in Saudi Arabia as a narcotic and psychotropic substance. Smuggling such large quantities is treated as a major drug crime and carries severe penalties under the Kingdom's anti-drug and anti-smuggling laws, including long-term imprisonment, fines, and capital punishment in aggravated cases.

ZATCA reminds residents that official channels are available to report customs violations and drug smuggling. These include the unified security reporting number 1910, an electronic reporting portal on the authority's official website, and a mobile application for submitting reports and tracking their status. Informants who report through these channels may be eligible for financial rewards and confidentiality protections, subject to conditions such as the accuracy of the information and successful enforcement action.

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