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The Border Guard’s land patrols in Asir province’s Al-Rabwah Sector stopped eight Ethiopian border security violators who were trying to smuggle 160 kilograms of khat across the frontier. Security teams separately apprehended a Saudi citizen in the same province after discovering 133 kilograms of khat concealed in his vehicle. These two actions produced the 293-kilogram khat total cited in the August 9 briefing.
In the Jazan province’s Al-Aridah Sector, additional Border Guard patrols blocked an attempt to import 16 kilograms of hashish together with 37,290 tablets listed under medical circulation controls. The briefing indicated that every suspect and all recovered items from the three cases were promptly handed over to the competent authorities for legal processing. Officials reminded the public that cooperation remains critical to sustaining pressure on trafficking routes.
The Saudi Press Agency has documented a series of comparable interdictions throughout 2026, including one July operation that netted 260 kilograms of khat and resulted in multiple arrests. Such repeated successes demonstrate the scale of smuggling activity confronted by Saudi security agencies in the southern sectors. Figures from these campaigns show thousands of violators have been detained since the beginning of the year.
Khat continues to dominate smuggling statistics in the Asir and Jazan regions because of established trafficking pathways from Yemen. The Border Guard has increased its patrol frequency and adopted new detection methods in response to the evolving tactics employed by smugglers. This latest haul adds to a growing inventory of narcotics removed from circulation in recent months.
Public reporting mechanisms play a central role in these efforts, the authorities noted in their statement. Citizens can contact the Border Guard by dialing 911, 999 or 994, while the General Directorate of Narcotics Control operates the 995 hotline for drug-related information. An email address was listed as an alternative channel for forwarding details on suspicious behavior.
The Interior Ministry has coordinated closely with the Border Guard and the narcotics control directorate to maintain momentum in these campaigns, previous announcements have shown. In one documented period the ministry reported the arrest of 591 individuals linked to drug activities along with substantial drug quantities. These statistics, released via the Saudi Press Agency, place the current seizures in the context of a year-long effort to secure the kingdom’s borders.
