Afghan executed for drug smuggling in Saudi Arabia

KABUL (Pajhwok): An Afghan citizen has been executed on charges of drug smuggling in Saudi Arabia, a media report said on Tuesday.

The New Arab reported citing Saudi Arabia‘s interior ministry, Afghan national Badshah Qul Suleimani was executed in the holy city of Makkah on Sunday.

He had been convicted of attempting to smuggle heroin into the kingdom.

Suleimani had been arrested by border security while trying to bring the drug into the kingdom by ingesting it – a method commonly referred to as body packing.

In a statement, the ministry said the execution reflected the country’s firm stance against narcotics, emphasising its commitment to “protecting the safety of citizens and residents from the scourge of drugs”.

The report said the government would continue to impose the strictest penalties on drug traffickers and distributors, citing the “severe harm” such substances inflict on individuals, youth and society at large.

“Anyone who commits this crime will face the legal punishment prescribed by law,” the ministry warned.

The caretaker government in Kabul has not yet commented on the execution of the Afghan citizen.

kk/mud