Saudi Arabia’s ZATCA seizes 961 prohibited items at ports in one week

The Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority (ZATCA) has intercepted nearly 1,000 smuggling attempts across the kingdom’s land, air and sea ports in a seven-day period, highlighting the scale of illegal trade targeting Saudi Arabia.

The authority announced that customs operations recorded 961 seizures of prohibited items in a single week, with narcotics accounting for 91 cases involving hashish, cocaine, heroin, shabu and Captagon pills.

Officials also intercepted 427 incidents of other prohibited substances, whilst more than 1,811 attempts to smuggle tobacco and its derivatives were thwarted.

A further 10 cases related to sums of money and five incidents involving weapons and their accessories were recorded during the same period.

ZATCA reaffirmed its commitment to tightening customs controls on imports and exports to safeguard society, emphasising its collaboration with relevant authorities to combat smuggling and all forms of illegal trade.

The authority has called on the public to support its efforts by reporting smuggling activities through its designated hotline, 1910, via email at [email protected], or by calling the international number 009661910.

ZATCA handles all reports with strict confidentiality and offers financial rewards for accurate information.