On Wednesday, Saudi Arabia’s General Directorate of Narcotics Control (GDNC) seized 4,693,000 amphetamine pills concealed in two shipments of medical equipment in the Jeddah Islamic Port, the GNDC’s official spokesman said.
A Jordanian, who was the receiver of the shipments, was arrested in Jeddah, Major Mohammad al-Nujaidi said, according to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA). Preliminary legal measures were taken against him, and he was referred to Public Prosecution.
The giant drug haul has a calculated street worth of between $46.93 million to $117.3 million, according to research published in the International Addiction Review Journal which says the drugs usually sell for $10 to $25 each.
The operation was conducted in coordination with the Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority (ZATCA), al-Nujaidi said. The authority has smashed down on pill smuggling in the Kingdom and tightened its customs control to assure the safety and security of society, it said in a previous statement carried by SPA.
To help combat smuggling, the authority now has an assigned number for security reports that can be made by members of the public (1910), e-mail (1910@zatca.gov.sa), and international number (00966114208417), it said.
The authority has said it would provide reports linked to smuggling offenses are treated with the maximum confidentiality and informants would be granted a monetary reward if the report provided is confirmed accurate.
