Saudi-Malaysian cooperation foils attempt to smuggle 505.6kg of ketamine

Information shared by Saudi Arabia helped Malaysian authorities intercept 505.6 kilograms of ketamine, in an operation targeting a network involved in producing and trafficking narcotics.

Malaysia's Royal Customs Department Anti-Narcotics Unit seized the drugs, according to Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Interior. Saudi security spokesman Brig. Gen. Talal bin Shalhoub praised the operational coordination between the two countries and said the result reflected strong cooperation against transnational organised crime.

Bin Shalhoub said Saudi Arabia would continue tracking and dismantling criminal networks involved in drug trafficking while strengthening international cooperation to protect communities from the illicit drug trade. The operation forms part of the kingdom's broader efforts against narcotics at the local, regional and international levels.

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The joint success reflects strong security cooperation in tackling transnational organised crime networks.

Gulf authorities have intensified anti-drug operations. Kuwait said it arrested 23 people in 12 cases on August 4 after surveillance and investigations by its General Directorate for Drug Control. On August 10, Kuwaiti authorities arrested a citizen accused of running a marijuana farm and possessing drugs for trafficking and personal use. They said they seized 6 kilograms of marijuana, 250 grams of hashish, cultivation equipment and 17,820 Kuwaiti dinars in cash.

The UAE's National Anti-Narcotics Authority said on April 29 that it had arrested a 13-member trafficking gang linked to an overseas ringleader. The month-long operation involved police in Dubai, Sharjah and Bahrain and led to the seizure of 56.623 kilograms of narcotic substances, 8,159 psychotropic tablets and electronic cigarettes filled with hashish oil. The authority estimated the drugs' total value at about Dh3.3 million and said the operation targeted local promoters and overseas figures managing criminal networks.

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Saudi Arabia remains committed to tracking and dismantling criminal networks involved in drug trafficking and strengthening international cooperation to protect communities from the illicit drug trade.