KUWAIT CITY, July 24 (Xinhua) -- Kuwait's authorities announced Wednesday they confiscated nearly 4 million Captagon pills, with an estimated market value of 39.3 million U.S. dollars.
In a statement posted on social media X, the country's interior ministry said the drugs were seized in a joint operation by the General Directorate for Drug Control, the General Administration of Customs and the General Fire Force.
The authorities said they received a tip-off about an attempt to smuggle a large quantity of Captagon pills using an "innovative method." The pills were found ingeniously hidden inside industrial pipes meant for water treatment.
Customs officials allowed the suspicious shipment to proceed under surveillance, enabling investigators to trace its route and identify those involved.
One suspect was arrested in Kuwait, while the primary suspect remains abroad. The authorities are working with a foreign drug enforcement agency to apprehend the main suspect and pursue legal action.
Investigations revealed that the shipment had passed through an Arab country and a European country as part of a diversionary tactic before arriving in Kuwait.
The ministry reiterated its commitment to combating drug trafficking, vowing zero tolerance for anyone threatening national security and public safety. ■
