Saudi Arabia state employees among 19 arrested as drug rings busted

Three criminal networks took part in smuggling and money laundering

Drugs confiscated by Saudi Arabia's port authorities in 2021. Photo: Zakat Customs Authority

Fifteen state employees have been arrested in Saudi Arabia after three criminal networks involved in drug trafficking were smashed, Saudi news agency SPA reported.

An official at the Interior Ministry said 19 people were arrested in drugs busts in the Asir, Jazan and Eastern provinces, SPA added.

The groups were involved in smuggling drugs to other regions in Saudi Arabia and laundering the proceeds, it said. Arrests included five employees from the Interior Ministry, seven from the tax and customs authority and three from the Ministry of Defence.

SPA reported that the suspects would face legal action and that “authorities are vigilant of all criminal plots being hatched to target the nation and its youth with drugs”.

In the past few years, Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries have cracked down on the smuggling of Captagon, an amphetamine-like drug, a trade that has raised alarm among authorities.

Syria was the region's main producer of Captagon until the downfall of former president Bashar Al Assad in December, but he denied his government was involved. The new administration has pledged to clamp down on the production and trade of the drug.

In 2021, the Syrian government is estimated to have made more than $5 billion from the sale of the drug. Dealers often targeted the region, leading to drug busts in countries including Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

Last month, Saudi Arabia executed six Iranians for drug smuggling, SPA reported, prompting diplomatic protests from Tehran. In 2023, Saudi authorities launched a highly publicised anti-drugs campaign involving raids and arrests.