RIYADH — One of the largest drug busts in the Kingdom in 2012 was the seizure of over 900,000 pills of the stimulant drug fenethylline, commonly known as Captagon. With the aid of modern technology, the Kingdom's Anti-Narcotics Department foiled the smuggling bid in the Northern Border Province and made multiple arrests. The drug traffickers had used hollowed-out almonds to hide the pills, a sign that traffickers are getting increasingly creative as authorities crack down on drug proliferation. In other cases, hollow scaffolding poles and water pipes were used to conceal large quantities of Captagon pills. The concerned authorities have countered narcotics from a comprehensive strategic perspective. The objective is to put a halt to the drug trade and prevent proliferation in society. The Ministry of Interior, with Prince Muhammad Bin Naif at the helm, has been instrumental in the Kingdom's war against drugs as the agency works to protect the nation, citizens and expatriates from the harms of narcotics, Al-Riyadh Arabic daily reported recently. Yet, despite the Kingdom's crackdown, drug dealers and smugglers are relentlessly pursuing any means possible to smuggle the contraband into the country. In one of the biggest drug hauls in the Kingdom, over 365,000 Tramadol pills, 1 million aphrodisiac pills and other drugs were seized by the Anti-Narcotics Department. The total street value of the drugs was put at SR41 million. Six Arab nationals, including three pharmacists, were arrested as a result. In another case, smugglers who had managed to bring 700 kilograms of hashish into the Kingdom and bury it in a remote area in the Eastern Province were arrested by Anti-Narcotics Department teams. Many drug-smuggling attempts have failed due to the efforts, loyalty and hard work of the officers at the Ministry of Interior. Often heavily-armed smugglers are challenging authorities in ways never seen before and, as a result, bloody confrontations have taken place between Saudi border guards and traffickers resulting in the loss of life of officers guarding the nation. To combat the phenomenon, the authorities have increased drug awareness and prevention programs targeted at the country's youth. Their efforts seem to be paying off. At a press conference in September last year, Gen. Mansour Al-Turki, the official spokesman of the Ministry of Interior, said smuggling of amphetamine pills was down by 60 percent. Authorities have also witnessed a decline in the number of people arrested for drug trafficking by one third and distribution declined by half. — SG
