Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — The land patrols of the Border Guards announced on Wednesday that it had thwarted an attempt to smuggle huge quantities of narcotic hashish, stimulant khat, and amphetamine tablets in different cities of Saudi Arabia.

The General Directorate of Border Guard spokesman Col. Misfir Al-Quraini stated that the follow-up of the Border Guards in the regions of Jazan, Najran, Asir and Tabuk has resulted in their success in thwarting attempts to smuggle more than a ton of hashish, 91 tons, 188 kilograms of stimulant khat, and 1,604,000 of amphetamine tablets.

The official spokesman confirmed that the people who participated in the attempt to smuggle this large amount were arrested.

Those who were arrested in the smuggling operation were found to be 128 accused, including 52 citizens, and 76 violators of the border security regulations.

Of them, 38 are of Ethiopian nationality, 31 of Yemeni nationality, 2 of Somali nationality, 2 of Eritrean nationality, 2 of Egyptian nationality, and 1 of Sudanese nationality.

The spokesman indicated that the accused were arrested, in addition to the fact that the initial legal measures were taken against them, as well as to handing them over and the seized items to the competent authority.