Criminals from Yemen and some African countries are smuggling weapons into Saudi Arabia from an arms market known as Al-Raqo in Yemen's Saada Governorate. Smugglers are using advanced satellite phones, from a Gulf telecommunications company, to make deals across the border, local media reports said. Once an order is made on the phone, a smuggler drives or walks across difficult mountainous terrain to transport the weapons, and often drugs as well, to a destination in the Kingdom. The smugglers get half their payment when they get the order, and the other half on delivery. The smugglers are constantly in contact on their satellite phones. If a smuggler does not answer his phone, then his accomplices know he has been caught and the route into the Kingdom has to be changed. A reporter said that during a visit to Al-Raqo market, some arms dealers wanted money to spill the beans. “We're poor and need money to live. We smuggle weapons into the Kingdom for money. There is danger all around us. If the Border Guard officers find us, they'll kill us and if we fail to deliver the weapons, we're dead. This is the only way we can make a living,” a smuggler was quoted as saying. An African smuggler said that the Kingdom “is a paradise where you can find gold and money but the road to it is full of danger and ferocious gangs. We might get killed at any time either by the Border Guard or other competing gangs. These gangs will kill us and take the weapons from us”. Maj. Gen. Abdullah Al-Qarni, spokesman of Jizan Police, said police officers found a large number of weapons and ammunition after chasing a group of infiltrators on Saturday. The criminals dropped the weapons and fled when they saw the police. The police found 12,880 rounds of ammunition for various weapons. Col. Abdullah Muhammad Mahfoud, spokesman of the Border Guard in Jizan, said their patrols recently confiscated 9,403 rounds of ammunition, 151 different weapons, 127 bottles of alcohol, 271,822 kg of Qat, and 1,258 kg of cannabis. A total of 24,069 infiltrators and 403 smugglers were arrested. Al-Raqo market in Saada Governorate is close to the Saudi border and Al-Dayer Governorate of the Kingdom. Arms can be found at small shops and from individuals in the streets. Damad Valley separates Al-Raqo market and the Saudi border. The market can be seen from the Saudi Border Guard's headquarters.
