Attempts to smuggle controlled pills thwarted in Saudi Arabia

• Saudi authorities reaffirmed their commitment to strict customs enforcement over the Kingdom’s imports and exports to safeguard the country from illicit trafficking

Updated 44 sec ago

SPA

February 28, 2026 22:24

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RIYADH: The Zakat, Tax, and Customs Authority thwarted four smuggling attempts at King Abdulaziz Port and Al-Wadiah Border Crossing, seizing a total of 483,585 Pregabalin pills and 37,368 Xanax pills, both classified as controlled substances. The contraband was concealed in shipments and the luggage of two travelers arriving in the Kingdom.

Officials confirmed that the first attempt at King Abdulaziz Port involved 210,000 Pregabalin pills hidden in an incoming shipment, while the second involved 273,585 Pregabalin pills in a second shipment.

At Al-Wadiah Border Crossing, authorities uncovered 28,578 Xanax pills in the luggage of a traveler arriving in the Kingdom, while another 8,790 pills were found in a similar manner in a separate case.

Following the seizures, authorities arrested six individuals inside the Kingdom who were linked to the smuggling operations.

Saudi authorities reaffirmed their commitment to strict customs enforcement over the Kingdom’s imports and exports to safeguard the country from illicit trafficking, emphasizing their strategy’s main pillars of enhancing security and protecting society by cracking down on smuggling attempts.