RIYADH — The Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Waleed Bukhari asserted Sunday that there were attempts to smuggle 600 million narcotic pills from Lebanon during the past six years. The quantity of drugs smuggled from Lebanon is enough to drown the Arab world with drugs and psychotropics, Bukhari added. He said that the smuggling of these drugs is not targeting the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia alone, but all parts of the Arab world. Saudi Arabia had decided last Friday to ban entry of Lebanese fruits and vegetables or passing through the Kingdom's territories, as of Sunday. The authorities took this decision after foiling the smuggling of over 2 million narcotic tablets concealed in Lebanese fruit consignments. The General Directorate of Narcotics Control (GDNC) in Saudi Arabia spokesman Capt. Muhammad Al-Nijeidi said: "Of the seized quantities of banned substances in the Kingdom, 75 percent comes from Lebanon. "We have carried out preemptive strikes against smuggling in Lebanon." He stressed: "The smuggling operations are intentionally targeting the Kingdom's security." Earlier, Capt. Al-Nijeidi had confirmed that the proactive security monitoring of the activities of criminal networks resulted in foiling an attempt to smuggle 2,466,563 amphetamine narcotic tablets into Saudi Arabia. The quantity of drugs was tracked and seized, in coordination with the General Administration for Customs at King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam. The amphetamine narcotic pills were hidden inside a consignment of pomegranates coming from Lebanon. Capt. Al-Nijeidi said that those involved have been arrested during their attempt to smuggle the quantity of drugs in Hafr Al-Batin Governorate. They were five people — four citizens and one displaced person.
