The Religious Policeman

Just to show that we're on top of the drugs battle.

Saudi and Bahraini Authorities Foil Bid to Smuggle Drugs

MANAMA, 10 April 2004 — Some 600 kg of hashish on its way to Saudi Arabia was seized by Bahraini and Saudi authorities over the last few days in separate incidents.

Five Bahrainis were arrested, and Saudi police are searching for a Saudi suspect in connection with the seizure of hashish in two separate operations on Wednesday and Thursday.

Bahraini authorities arrested yesterday two Bahrainis on a boat heading to eastern Saudi Arabia.

The two were attempting to ship about 500 kg of hashish to a Saudi dealer.

There are probably two reasons why this drugs sweep took place. Firstly, this is Hash. Hash is the drug of choice for the poorer Third World nationals, not the harder drugs favored by the Princes and their customers. Secondly, the Bahrainis were onto it, so the Saudis could hardly ignore it.

The drugs that get thru are the harder drugs, much of it imported by Princes. When the Police pick up some poor user or minor dealer, they always say up-front that they're not going to plea-bargain in return for the names of those "higher up", simply because the chain would end up at a Prince, and closing in on a Prince would be a bad career move. Other individuals who smuggle are those with the Wasta (influence) and money to buy temporary blindness of customs and police. But if the wasta fails or a fix doesn't go thru, some poor Pakistani courier gets picked up at the airport and eventually has his head chopped off.

Like many Saudis, I like the occasional drink when I can get one. But I don't do drugs. If I want to enter a world of bizarre and strange fantasy, I go out of my front door.