Saudi authorities thwart plot to smuggle Captagon hidden in fava beans
May 27, 2022, 3:20 pm

Saudi authorities thwart plot to smuggle Captagon hidden in fava beans

The smuggling attempt involved 403,000 amphetamine pills. Photo: SPA

The Saudi state news agency reported, authorities have thwarted an attempt to smuggle 403,000 Captagon amphetamine pills hidden in a shipment of fava beans inside plastic moulds.

According to a statement by the General Directorate of Narcotics Control, the pills were seized in an operation in the Red Sea city of Jeddah, implicating a Saudi citizen and a Syrian resident.

A representative of the directorate said: “The Ministry of Interior with its various security sectors, in co-ordination with the Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority, continue to confront anyone who might be tempted to target the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its youth with drugs."

Al Qurayyah beach in Khobar, Saudi Arabia (Pixabay)

According to research by the New Lines Institute, trade in the amphetamine-type stimulant Captagon in the Middle East grew last year to more than $5 billion, posing an increasing health and security risk to the region.

The figure is a jump from an estimated $3.5 billion in 2020 and reflects only the retail value of the pills seized last year, which the think tank said numbered more than 420 million.

Saudi Arabia's Customs Stops Smuggling Over 4.5 Million Pills Of Captagon

According to the report, many countries have not divulged aggregated seizure figures for the drug, for which Syria is the main producer and Saudi Arabia the main consumer.

Source: thenational

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”