Security forces apprehended 362 people, 78 of them Saudis, in drug smuggling-related cases, a Ministry of Interior spokesman said. The arrests were carried out over a period of two months ending the Hijra month of Dhul Hijjah, he said. The operation, the spokesman said, follows the arrest of 475 people in the three preceding months. All those arrested were involved in smuggling, transporting, receiving and trafficking drugs estimated at a market value of SR86.6 million. The spokesman said in the operations, security personnel faced armed resistance in 31 cases which resulted in injuries to eight security men and a drug trafficker. Meanwhile, the total quantity of drugs and psychotropics seized reached 4.83 kg of crude heroin, over five tons of hashish and 4.9 million narcotic pills. The spokesman said cash worth SR12.8 million was found in the possession of the arrested drug traffickers and seized. The spokesman lauded coordination and integration between the Customs Department and the security authorities concerned with monitoring, following up and foiling attempts to smuggle drugs into the Kingdom.
