Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — The land patrol teams of the Border Guards have successfully foiled attempts to smuggle in huge cache of narcotics in various border regions of Saudi Arabia. A total of 30 smugglers were arrested.

The drugs were seized from the southern regions of Jazan, Najran, and Asir and the northwestern region of Tabuk. The seized narcotics included more than 13 tons of stimulant khat, 230 kilograms of hashish, 334,000 amphetamine tablets, and 278 grams of opium, in addition to 1.8 grams of cocaine.

The arrested smugglers include 16 Saudi citizens and 14 foreigners. Among the foreigners, there are 11 Ethiopians, and one each Somali, Eritrean and Egyptian national.

The arrested smugglers were handed over to the competent security authorities along with the seized narcotics after completing the initial legal procedures, the Border Guards said in a statement.