Drugs Found on Pilgrims' Buses at Saudi Border

A massive traffic jam at the Saudi-Iraqi border has been resolved after a nearly 18-hour delay for 2,000 Iraqi pilgrims. The pilgrims, traveling on 50 buses for the Umrah pilgrimage, were stopped after Saudi authorities discovered drugs and alcohol on some of the vehicles.

The incident, which took place at the new Arar port, has prompted a stricter inspection regimen by Saudi officials for all vehicles coming from Iraq. According to a statement from the Iraqi High Commission of Hajj and Umrah, the contraband found was Captagon pills, an amphetamine-type stimulant. The commission also stated that they would take punitive measures, including revoking the licenses of companies and individuals involved in smuggling.

The Iraqi Hajj Authority has confirmed that the bus carrying the contraband was an Iraqi vehicle, not from the Kurdistan Region. The deputy director of Kirkuk's Hajj and Umrah commission, Dler Barzenji, noted that drivers have been caught previously attempting to smuggle drugs into Saudi Arabia.

The delayed pilgrims were ultimately allowed to continue their journey and left the border heading toward Saudi Arabia around 7 a.m. on Saturday. Air travel between the two countries remains unaffected. The incident underscores the ongoing efforts by Saudi and Iraqi authorities to combat the drug trade, particularly the trafficking of Captagon.