Okaz/Saudi Gazette

JEDDAH — A Saudi court sentenced one Saudi citizen and two Arab nationals to a total of 55 years in prison after their conviction of drug trafficking. One of the convicts was imprisoned for a period of 25 years while two others were sentenced to 15 years each, according to the Public Prosecution.

The court also slapped fines amounting to SR300000 on the convicts as well as confiscation of the means of smuggling used in the crime, and deportation of the Arab nationals from the Kingdom after serving their jail terms and payment of fines.

The Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances wing at the Public Prosecution referred the accused to the competent court after completing investigations into the crime of the gang who were accused of bringing and receiving psychotropic substances with the intention of promoting and trafficking.

It was revealed in investigations that the defendants brought and received large quantities of psychotropic amphetamine (Captagon), 342,000 pills in number, from outside Saudi Arabia, hidden inside a shipment that arrived at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. It was found that the Arab national, who was the gang leader, traveled to outside the Kingdom upon the shipment’s arrival in Saudi Arabia after assigning the other defendants to receive the shipment so as to ensure that he would not be caught until the completion of the process of receiving, bringing and delivering the shipment.

All these were closely and carefully monitored by the security authorities who delayed the arrest of the gang members until the return of the gang leader to the Kingdom.

The Public Prosecution reiterated its determination and resolve to combat all drug crimes, saying that it will not show any leniency in busting drug gangs and ensuring that stringent punitive measures were taken against them.