مهمة خاصة: حرب السعودية على المخدرات

Summary

The documentary follows Saudi Arabia’s anti-drug campaign through several operations, presenting drug trafficking as a serious threat to public safety and national security. It emphasizes coordination among the Ministry of Interior’s security agencies, customs, citizens and residents, and partner countries. Officials also describe intelligence, prevention, and public awareness as part of the wider effort.

• A shipment tracked from Jeddah to Riyadh: On February 12, 2023, customs at Jeddah Islamic Port received intelligence about drugs concealed in a container of construction materials. In coordination with anti-narcotics officers, the shipment was allowed to continue under surveillance so investigators could identify the wider network. After weeks of tracking, officers raided the operation and arrested suspects, seizing more than 662,000 amphetamine pills.
• Border enforcement: In Jazan, the Border Guard uses surveillance equipment and smart systems, including AI-supported technology, to monitor difficult terrain. The film accompanies a raid on suspected armed smugglers carrying hashish and other drugs. It also reports other cases, including a maritime seizure of hashish and an attempted drone smuggling operation in Tabuk involving 14,000 Captagon pills.
• Surveillance and arrests in urban areas: In Riyadh, security teams coordinate vehicle movements and track targets through the 911 Unified Security Operations Center. In Jeddah, officers conduct days of surveillance on a suspected methamphetamine network before arresting a seller and buyer during a handover. Another operation, based on a confidential tip, leads to the arrest of a suspected dealer and the discovery of drugs stored at a commercial premises.
• Informants and technology: Officials say confidential sources provide vital leads, and that their identities and safety are protected. Investigators use technical systems to process information and detect criminal patterns. The documentary notes that trafficking networks increasingly use modern technology and that Saudi agencies are adapting their methods.
• The human cost of addiction: A prisoner identified as Ziad recounts becoming addicted after a dealer told him drugs would improve his football performance. His addiction damaged his family relationships and led him to sell drugs to pay his debt. He describes dealers as driven by money and indifferent to the harm they cause.

The documentary also highlights international cooperation, citing joint efforts to thwart large smuggling operations. It says Saudi Arabia’s role in an international drugs and crime commission gives it a voice in global drug-control discussions. It concludes that the campaign is complex and ongoing, but that Saudi authorities are determined to pursue trafficking networks.

Presenters and Contributors

• Major Marwan — Anti-Narcotics Department field officer and spokesperson.
• Brigadier General Mamdouh Fawaz — Border Guard commander in the Jazan region.
• Nasser — Pseudonym for an experienced drug-enforcement officer.
• Ziad — A prisoner who recounts his experience with addiction.
• Al Arabiya reporter/narrator — Not named in the subtitles.