(MENAFN- Gulf Times) Saudi authorities said on Sunday that they had seized more than 5mn amphetamine tablets and arrested 11 people in one of the kingdom's largest drug busts.
The suspects - nine Saudis and two Sudanese citizens - were arrested in Riyadh as an illegal deal was being completed, state news agency SPA quoted an interior ministry spokesman as saying.
Three grams of heroin, a machine gun and a pistol were also seized from the suspects, the spokesman said without elaborating.
Drug smuggling appears to be on the rise in the kingdom despite a crackdown by the authorities.
The interior ministry announced in November that it had seized a total of 22.4mn amphetamine tablets, 28.8 tonnes of cannabis and 26.2 kilograms of heroin in the last Islamic calendar year, which ends in mid-October.
Drug smuggling is punishable by death in the kingdom.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.