A Saudi national convicted of murder and a Syrian accused of drug trafficking were beheaded Wednesday, the Ministry of Interior said in a statement. Eid Al-Anzi was sentenced to death for killing fellow citizen Yazid Al-Anzi during a dispute, the ministry said. A Syrian resident, Karim Al-Raslan, was also beheaded by the sword “for smuggling 230,000 pills of a forbidden drug into the Kingdom,” Saudi Press Agency reported. Both were executed in the northern province of Al-Jouf. The ministry stressed the keenness of the government of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques on fighting the evil of drugs in all their forms as these cause serious damage to individuals and the society. The ministry also warned of imposing heaviest penalties on smugglers as punishments according to Shariah law. Rape, murder, apostasy, armed robbery and drug trafficking are all punishable by death under the Shariah law.
