Saudi authorities stated immediately that they thwarted extra makes an attempt to smuggle tens of millions of Captagon tablets into the nation.
The Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority stated in a press launch it discovered 2,060,000 tablets of the drug hidden in packing containers of gloves on the Jeddah port and an extra 423,926 tablets in a cargo marked as oranges on the Duba port. Each ports are positioned on the Purple Sea.
The Basic Directorate of Narcotics Management arrested three individuals alleged to be the meant recipients of the tablets, in line with the press launch.
Captagon is the market title of the drug Fenethylline, which is a stimulant that shares many properties and traits with amphetamines. It was initially used to deal with despair, narcolepsy and different issues, however is now broadly unlawful because of its addictiveness.
Captagon has received considerable media attention lately for its sale and use by Islamic State fighters as a efficiency enhancer in battle.
Saudi Arabia isn’t any stranger to Captagon smuggling. Final month, customs authorities in Jeddah seized tens of millions of the tablets hidden in onions. In December, they seized greater than 800,000 pills within the port. Saudi Arabia is a major market for Captagon and demand for the drug within the kingdom is comparatively excessive.
The Captagon commerce has grow to be a billion-dollar trade. In 2020, Italian police seized 84 million Captagon tablets they stated have been value $1.1 billion and getting used to finance IS.
Many regional authorities are cracking down on the Captagon commerce. Turkish-backed Syrian rebels arrested a number of drug sellers and seized tons of of hundreds of tablets final 12 months, Khaled al-Khateb reported for Al-Monitor from Aleppo. Syrian authorities authorities additionally seized a Captagon cargo en route to Jordan in December.
Captagon smuggling can also be growing on Iraq’s western border with Syria, Shelly Kittleson reported for Al-Monitor in December.
