Lebanese fruit banned in KSA over drug bust

Saudi Arabia will ban the import of Lebanese fruits and vegetables as of 9 a.m. on April 25 after a reported increase in drug smuggling from Beirut, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported on Friday.

The move comes after Saudi Customs foiled an attempt to smuggle over 5 million pills of Captagon stuffed inside fruit imported from Lebanon, the SPA reported.

The ban will remain in effect until Lebanese authorities provide sufficient and reliable guarantees that they will take the necessary steps to halt systemic drug smuggling operations.

Lebanon’s Foreign Ministry criticized the drug smuggling operations and called on the country’s security authorities to crack down “in order to prevent harm to innocent citizens, farmers, industrialists and the Lebanese economy.”

Lebanon's total exports to Saudi Arabia were worth 273.1 million riyals ($72.82 million) in the fourth quarter of 2020, official Saudi data showed.

Gulf states, including Saudi Arabia, have so far been loath to offer aid to ease Beirut's economic woes, keeping their distance while alarmed by the rising influence of Hezbollah, a powerful group backed by their arch-rival Iran.