JEDDAH – Police have arrested an Indian expatriate accused of smuggling in 750 bundles of qat that he intended to sell in Jeddah. A patrol was carrying out its rounds at 9 a.m. on Sunday in Jeddah's Al-Sanabel district when its members noticed a white truck and got suspicious. When they started following the vehicle the driver sped away, but he was chased down and arrested. Officers noticed how nervous the driver was when he claimed that he had urgent work that could not be delayed otherwise he would incur a pay deduction from his employer. The Indian driver said he had come from Al-Mudhailif and was heading to Jeddah to hand over a consignment of plastic items. When officers checked the good, they could find nothing suspicious. When they inspected the vehicle closely they discovered signs that a part of the truck's front side had been welded recently and also noticed the smell of qat. When they tapped the area they noticed it was hollow, so they dismantled the front of the vehicle. They discovered a padded area from which bundles of qat started falling. The smuggler was arrested and referred for further investigations. The driver was a plumber according to his iqama, said Jeddah police spokesman First Lt. Nawaf Al-Bouq.
