11 May: A massive haul of Captagon pills worth up to $115 million was seized by Saudi Arabia’s Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority (ZATCA) at Al-Haditha port on Thursday.
The ZATCA said that it foiled the smuggling attempt after discovering 461,164 pills of the synthetic amphetamine hidden inside car parts shipments that came on a truck from a neighboring country.
The four consignees of the shipment were arrested and handed over to the General Directorate for Narcotics for further legal action.
According to a study published in the International Addiction Review Journal, Captagon pills can fetch between $10 and $25 per pill on the street, depending on the demand and supply.
Captagon is a popular drug among young men and teenagers in the Middle East, and is often associated with organized crime and terrorism. The drug can induce feelings of euphoria, alertness, and reduced hunger, but also has harmful effects such as paranoia, hallucinations, and violence.
Saudi Arabia has been waging a war against drug trafficking and consumption in the kingdom, confiscating millions of pills and arresting thousands of suspects. In April, Saudi authorities confiscated 8 million amphetamine pills that were camouflaged among containers of coffee creamer.
The ZATCA said that it is collaborating with other security agencies to protect the kingdom from any threats posed by drug smuggling and to preserve the health and well-being of its citizens and residents.