The Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority (ZATCA) managed to thwart two attempts for smuggling +2.9 million captagon pills, after they were found hidden in consignments to the Kingdom through the Empty Quarter and Al-Haditha crossings.

ZATCA stated that it was able to thwart an attempt to smuggle 2,920,000 Captagon pills at the Empty Quarter crossing, after finding them hidden in (electrical cables) consignments through the crossing. The pills seized were hidden inside the cables. It added that it was able, at the Al-Haditha crossing, to thwart another attempt to smuggle 24,400 captagon pills, which were hidden inside the “spindle" of one of the trucks coming through the crossing. 

ZATCA stated that after completing the seizure operations, coordination took place with the General Directorate for Narcotics Control (GDNC) to ensure the arrest of the recipient of such narcotics inside the Kingdom. Following coordination, he was later arrested, thanks to Allah.

ZATCA stressed that it will further tighten customs control over the Kingdom's imports and exports and that it stands guard against attempts by smugglers, in order to achieve the key pillars of its strategy; namely enhancing the security and protection of society by limiting attempts to smuggle such and similar narcotics.

ZATCA called on everyone to contribute to the fight against smuggling to protect society and the national economy, by contacting ZATCA on the number designated for security reports (1910) or via e-mail zatca.gov.sa and the international number (00966114208417). ZATCA also stresses that it receives, through these channels, communications related to smuggling crimes and violations of the provisions of the Unified Customs Law, in complete confidentiality, with a financial reward being granted to the informant in the event that the information in the communication is correct.​