Among the victories of Saudi Arabia and Vision 2030 is the winning war against drugs. The government has seized enormous quantities of drugs this year and it is not the first time that this happens in the GCC nation. However, control over drug dealing and smuggling is one thing that the country has gotten the grasp of in 2021.
Between the years 2015 and 2019, a lot of Captagon pills, also known as synthetic amphetamine, were hauled in the Middle East. Half of the pills taken were actually in Saudi Arabia, according to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime. This has raised concerns that maybe those drug operations were to help and support terrorist networks. The terrorist group Hezbollah, for instance, was a primary suspect of the major productions of Marijuana and Captagon.
Since this issue came to light, the Kingdom has done immaculate work to fight drugs. Starting with a campaign against it, their mission is to: “protect society, support the national economy and improve international trade,” according to The National.
2021: Saudi Arabia is the drug capital of the Middle East
Just that past year, Saudi Arabia has taken a hold of copious amounts of illegal drugs and smuggled alcohol. With a breaking record of 37,000 kilograms of drugs and 4,155 liters of alcohol, the drugs included hashish, heroin, cocaine, etc. Evidently, the Syrian authorities hauled 500 kilograms of Capatagon pills that were headed to the Kingdom. More of these pills were smuggled from Lebanon. The amount was staggering that a Saudi official said, “The quantity of drugs and psychotropics smuggled from Lebanon is enough to drown not only Saudi Arabia but also the entire Arab world.” Consequently, Saudi Arabia banned fresh produce shipments from Lebanon, as a way to control the situation.
Seizing such a respectful quantity, only emphasized the Kingdom’s success in asserting control over imports and exports. An example of measures taken to protect the nation includes 41 ports around the country equipped with modern security techniques, K-9 units among other ways to detect illegal substances. Additionally, there are ways for people to tip-off the government and report any drug-related case. People can contact this number, 00966114208417, or send an email to 1910@zatca.gov.sa for tip-offs.
