Saudi Gazette report

DAMMAM — Security forces seized about 17 million pills of Captagon drugs during the examination period this year. An informed source told Al-Watan newspaper that the General Directorate of Narcotics Control foiled trading of more than 14 million pills in the area of Makkah alone. The source added that what makes the smuggled Captagon more dangerous is that it is free of the active ingredient and replaces a destructive one, Al-Watan reported.

Captagon is used to keep people awake for long periods of time. It also makes those who take it feel energetic and happy — which is why it has been dubbed "chemical courage".

Intensified security campaigns succeeded in reducing the rate of smuggling of narcotic drugs to the Kingdom, especially among students during the exam period, which is a promotional season for the smugglers of drugs to poison young students.

The source pointed out that "drug dealers take advantage of the exam season to pass their toxins among students. Drug control exists anywhere, and deals with promoters throughout the year intensively," stated the source. The person added that drug dealers are active on weekends and are especially loiter around cafes and other eateries to target the youth.

The source explained that Captagon is a chemical manufactured by activating the central nervous system. It is made in chemical laboratories and mixed with very dangerous substances, carcinogenic and addictive material. It's addictive and one of the most popular drugs traded on the black market in Asia, especially the Middle East. The risk of Captagon increases because most of the consumed pills that are smuggled into the Kingdom are fake and scientifically modified that most of them are free of Captagon, which are often replaced by other cheaper, easier to produce material but destructive products."

Last year, security forces seized two million narcotic pills, while the number of tablets seized this year was more than 6 times higher, confirming that the Kingdom was being systematically targeted.

"The Kingdom is geo-politically and ideologically targeted because it has a large economy and because the drug traffickers are interested in profitability," said Dr. Yusuf Al-Rumaih, a professor specializing in criminology and terrorism. "They try to use the seasons of Haj and Umrah, the holidays and the exam period to spread their poison. Smugglers are trying to sneak into the Kingdom or send Captagon to the country across the border."

Al-Rumaih explained that Captagon is the most popular drug among young people because of the misconceptions that it boosts concentration skills, while it causes severe addiction and hallucinations until the abuser begins to doubt those around him. Many of the abusers commit murders in their family or relatives under the influence.