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The Jazan Border Guard reported that its land patrols in the Al-Daer Sector of the Jazan Region intercepted more than 68,000 tablets subject to medical circulation regulations during a routine operation on Wednesday. Patrols successfully foiled the smuggling attempt and carried out all required preliminary legal procedures at the scene. Security officials noted the seizure forms part of sustained efforts to secure the kingdom’s southern borders against illicit flows.
According to the authorities, the seized tablets were promptly handed over to the competent authority for additional examination and any subsequent legal measures. The operation highlighted the role of targeted patrols in disrupting unauthorized movements of regulated substances. Officials have maintained a high state of readiness across key border sectors in response to persistent challenges in the area.
Arab News has reported on multiple comparable smuggling interceptions in the Jazan region in recent years, including a July 2024 case that yielded 79,700 narcotic tablets. These incidents often involve attempts to move goods from neighboring territories into the kingdom. The southern province’s location has made it a repeated focus for such activities, regional security assessments show.
A Stimson Center analysis issued in 2024 documented increasing drug and arms smuggling across the Arabian Peninsula, referencing several Saudi busts in Jazan and Asir provinces that netted thousands of amphetamine tablets plus hundreds of kilograms of khat and hashish. The UNODC World Drug Report has mapped extensive captagon and methamphetamine seizures throughout the Middle East and South-West Asia between 2020 and 2024. Such patterns underscore the ongoing pressure on Saudi border units to interdict varied trafficking routes.
Security authorities urged the public to support these operations by providing information on any suspected drug smuggling or trafficking. Reports can be made by calling 911 in Makkah, Riyadh and the Eastern Province, 999 elsewhere in the kingdom, 994 for the Border Guard or 995 for the General Directorate of Narcotics Control. All submissions receive strict confidentiality and carry no legal liability for those who come forward, the authorities stated.
The General Directorate of Narcotics Control frequently collaborates with border forces on such cases to ensure regulated medical items do not enter unauthorized channels. Wednesday’s seizure adds to a series of actions that have removed substantial quantities of controlled substances from potential circulation. Border Guard deployments continue across high-risk sectors to address evolving smuggling tactics.
