RIYADH, 19 October: Saudi authorities have seized a massive haul of 1.2 million Captagon tablets, state news agency SPA reported.
Customs officials at the Halat Ammar border crossing found the pills using x-ray technology and sniffer dogs. The pills were hidden inside a marble mixer.
The Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority (ZATCA) coordinated with the General Directorate of Narcotics Control to arrest two individuals who were supposed to receive the shipment inside the Kingdom.
The drugs haul had an estimated street value of between $12 million and $30 million, according to research published in the International Addiction Review Journal, based on assumptions that users pay between $10 and $25 a pill.
Amphetamines are largely used by young men and teenaged boys across the Middle East, and the money raised through the sale of all narcotics are usually ploughed back into the drug trade while some find their way into organized crime and terrorism.
ZATCA emphasized its commitment to preventing smuggling and protecting the community. It urges people to report any suspicious activity by contacting ZATCA on its security hotline (1910), via email (1910@zatca.gov.sa), or by calling its international number (+966 11 420 8417). All reports are confidential, and financial rewards are offered for information that leads to the capture of smugglers and the prevention of smuggling crimes.
