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The Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority recorded 1,075 contraband seizures at the kingdom’s land, sea and air customs ports during the past week. ZATCA, as the authority is known, reported that the cases included 71 seizures of narcotic substances such as hashish, cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, Captagon pills and other drugs. Its statement added that officers also accounted for 390 seizures of prohibited materials in addition to 2,234 units of tobacco and derivatives, 39 cases involving cash and two involving weapons along with related accessories.
The authority said the operations reflected its continued coordination with partner agencies to strengthen oversight of all imports and exports entering the kingdom. ZATCA encouraged the public to report any suspected smuggling activity through the dedicated security number 1910, an official email address or an international contact line. All tips are processed with full confidentiality and may qualify for financial rewards when they lead to confirmed enforcement outcomes, according to the authority.
ZATCA data covering the period from June 2025 through May 2026 placed the total prevented smuggling at more than 25 million narcotic pills and 1,098 kilograms of additional substances. The authority has described such annual results as evidence of heightened readiness at ports that combines human expertise with advanced detection technology. Its weekly summaries routinely highlight both immediate seizures and longer-term trends in counter-smuggling activity.
Narcotics and prohibited items have formed the largest share of recent weekly totals released by ZATCA in similar announcements over the past several months. The authority noted that smuggling methods frequently involve concealment inside shipments of food, equipment or vehicles as well as internal concealment by individuals. These patterns have prompted sustained upgrades to inspection protocols at all entry points, ZATCA stated.
Tobacco products, undeclared cash and weapons constitute smaller but consistent categories within the authority’s weekly enforcement reports. ZATCA affirmed that its mandate encompasses both revenue collection and security functions under the unified customs framework applied throughout the kingdom. The latest figures demonstrate the volume of attempts that customs personnel encounter and intercept on a regular basis.
The authority has positioned public participation as an important extension of its border controls in the effort to protect community safety and the national economy. ZATCA reiterated that every verified report contributes directly to disrupting illicit networks before they can affect Saudi markets or residents. Its announcements consistently close with reminders of the multiple secure channels available for submitting information.
