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The Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority recorded 1,039 contraband seizures at Saudi Arabia’s land, sea and air customs ports last week. According to the authority, the operations resulted in 190 cases involving narcotic substances that included hashish, cocaine, heroin, crystal methamphetamine and Captagon pills while a further 375 seizures concerned other banned materials. ZATCA data additionally showed the confiscation of 1,951 units of tobacco and its derivatives together with 79 cash-related cases and six seizures of weapons and related equipment.
In a statement accompanying the figures, the authority said it applies strict customs control over the kingdom’s imports and exports to ensure public safety in continuous cooperation with all relevant partners. The Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority urged the public to report any suspected smuggling through its dedicated hotline, email address or international telephone line while promising confidentiality and financial rewards for information that leads to successful enforcement action. The authority has maintained these reporting channels as a consistent element of its border enforcement activities.
Similar weekly reports have become routine, with the authority announcing 1,079 contraband seizures for one week in January this year, according to a Saudi Press Agency dispatch at the time. The authority’s newsroom also highlighted an August 2024 operation in which two attempts to smuggle more than 19 kilograms of methamphetamine and heroin were foiled, leading to the arrest of four people. These examples from ZATCA records demonstrate the volume of activity at the ports and the agency’s response to smuggling attempts.
Archival statistics from the Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority show that it seized more than 18 million narcotic pills and over 5,000 kilograms of other illegal drugs during a five-month period in 2022 across 465 smuggling attempts. A subsequent ZATCA update reported the interception of 24 million narcotic and prohibited pills in a year-long effort. The authority, which operates under the Ministry of Finance following earlier restructuring, has expanded its technological capabilities to detect concealed contraband.
The Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority continues to emphasize collaboration with domestic and international partners to address smuggling networks. Officials have noted in prior releases that substances such as Captagon remain a repeated focus in enforcement actions. Public reporting has contributed to multiple cases in recent years by supplying leads to inspectors at high-traffic ports.
