The Saudi Anti-Narcotics Department has carried out successful operations in the holy cities of Makkah and Madina, leading to multiple arrests.
In Madina, officials confirmed the detention of three suspects, including two Pakistani nationals. During the raid, security teams seized one kilogram of methamphetamine from their possession.
Meanwhile, in Makkah, authorities arrested two Ethiopian nationals. A quantity of narcotic pills was recovered from them during the operation.
The department said that legal proceedings have been initiated against all the suspects, who have been handed over to the Public Prosecution.
Recently, Pakistani authorities foiled an attempt to smuggle narcotics to Saudi Arabia after arresting a passenger at Sialkot International Airport.
According to the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF), the man had swallowed 40 capsules filled with cocaine, weighing nearly 230 grams in total. The suspect, believed to be part of an international smuggling network, was taken into custody on the spot.
Officials later moved him to a hospital, where the capsules were safely recovered from his stomach. Acting on the accused’s information, ANF teams also arrested another individual from the airport’s parking lot, suspected of assisting in the smuggling attempt.
The agency strongly condemned the use of the Umrah pilgrimage as a cover for drug trafficking and reaffirmed its strict zero-tolerance stance on narcotics.
ANF further stated that it is intensifying efforts against smuggling groups both inside Pakistan and abroad through advanced technology and intelligence-sharing systems.