War on drugs pays off: 2,237 traffickers held; arms seized
JEDDAH: The Ministry of Interior has arrested 2,237 people involved in trafficking drugs over the past 10 months.
Over the past six months, there were 453 Saudis and 856 foreigners of various nationalities nabbed by security officers, said Maj. Gen. Mansour Al-Turki, spokesman of the ministry.
During security operations one security officer was martyred and 25 wounded, while two traffickers died and nine were injured, Al-Turki said.
Following the operations, officers seized 703 weapons including 52 machines guns, 584 pistols, 67 rifles, and 28,460 rounds of live ammunition, he said.
Other items seized included 11.6 million amphetamine capsules, 12.21 tons of hashish, 13.157 kg of raw heroin, 188 kg of heroin ready for distribution, 3.138 kg of narcotic methamphetamine, and 1.18 million scheduled drugs.
There was also over SR16.9 million in cash seized.
Those arrested include two Iraqis, 338 Yemenis, one Qatari, one Thai, one Mauritanian, one Tunisian, seven Eritreans, 58 Ethiopians, 67 Egyptians, 23 Sudanese, 21 Syrians, 24 Palestinians, 52 Bangladeshis, 27 Indians and 71 Pakistanis.
There were also 13 Jordanians, three Niger nationals, one Djibouti, 40 Somalis, 10 Burmese, five Lebanese, two Moroccans, 13 Chadians, 16 Afghans, five Indonesians, one Cameroonian, two Sri Lankans, one Turkmenistani, 21 Filipinos, five Kenyans, four Malians, 11 Nigerians, four Burmese, and two of unknown nationality.