Saudi police seize heroin

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MEDINA, Saudi Arabia, May 20 (UPI) -- The Saudi Highway Patrol in Medina seized 35 kilograms of heroin which were hidden in a truck spare tire, officials said.

Highway patrol officers pulled over a car Friday after noticing suspicious behavior and discovered the heroin while conducting a search of the vehicle, the Saudi Gazette reported.

Brig. Gen. Misfer al-Asadi, director of Highway Patrol Department, told al-Medina newspaper that the heroin was discovered during a traffic stop. "The driver was on his way to Medina to deliver the drugs when he was apprehended by highway patrol officers and referred to the Narcotics Department in Medina."

Saudi Arabia still suffers from a serious drug trafficking problem despite many law enforcement drug units and hefty punishment, Arab News said.