ARAB AND WORLD
Wed 15 Mar 2023 9:52 pm - Jerusalem Time
Saudi Arabia announces thwarting an attempt to smuggle 29 tons of khat
Riyadh - (AFP) - Saudi Arabia announced, on Wednesday, the seizure of 29.2 tons of khat this month, which was intended to be smuggled across its southern border from Yemen and the northern border from Jordan.
Khat is a shrub widespread in the Arabian Peninsula, especially in Yemen and East Africa in Ethiopia and Somalia, and its effect is similar to that of amphetamines when its leaves are chewed.
The Saudi Press Agency (SPA) quoted the official spokesman for the General Directorate of the Saudi Border Guard, Colonel Misfer Al-Quraini, as saying, “The land patrols of the border guards in the regions of Najran, Jazan, Asir (south) and Tabuk (north) thwarted attempts to smuggle 29.2 tons of the narcotic plant khat, and 766 tons kilograms of marijuana.
Al-Quraini explained that his forces seized these narcotic substances between December 3-24, pointing to the arrest of 361 accused smugglers, including 23 Saudis, 261 Yemenis, and 70 Ethiopians.
In Yemen, which borders Saudi Arabia, the consumption of the khat plant has been handed down through generations and is very popular with the population. It is also widely smoked and even cultivated secretly among the population in the Saudi cities bordering Yemen.
According to the World Health Organization, the process of chewing khat releases "chemicals" that provide "a mild euphoria, which some compare to the euphoria provided by drinking strong coffee."
The Kingdom, which has the largest economy in the Arab world, constantly announces the seizure of large shipments of Captagon, which the authorities have been fighting attempts to smuggle and distribute for years.
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Saudi Arabia announces thwarting an attempt to smuggle 29 tons of khat