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Saudi authorities seize 765,000 amphetamine pills hidden in watermelons
In the latest drug bust in Saudi Arabia, authorities thwarted an attempt to smuggle hundreds of thousands of amphetamine pills hidden in the refreshing fruit.
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Trade of amphetamines appears to be booming across the Middle East [Getty-archive]
Saudi authorities announced that they seized 765,000 amphetamine pills that were being smuggled in watermelons during a raid in Riyadh.
The narcotics were in the possession of five people, including three Arab residents and two Saudi citizens, the official spokesman of the General Directorate of Narcotics Control said.
ضبط (765) ألف قرص من مادة الإمفيتامين المخدر بمدينة الرياض، مخبأة داخل شحنة "بطيخ" بحوزة (5) أشخاص.
— وزارة الداخلية (@MOISaudiArabia) September 28, 2022
#الحرب_على_المخدرات pic.twitter.com/TUVLcbJqK2
Maj. Muhammad Al-Nujaidi said the five men were arrested and referred to relevant judicial authorities.
The report did not specify whether the pills were captagon - the amphetamine wreaking havoc across the Middle East - nor did it say where the pills came from.
Captagon pills are produced mainly in war-torn Syria and smuggled to large consumer markets in the Gulf.
Saudi Arabia is the biggest captagon market, and the kingdom's customs body seized 119 million of the pills last year.
Follow the Middle East's top stories in English at The New Arab on Google News
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