Seizures of amphetamines have risen sharply in Saudi Arabia, suggesting a surge in consumption of the illegal stimulant in the kingdom, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) reported on Thursday.Saudi Arabia accounted for 28 per cent of all global amphetamine seizures in 2006, the latest year for which data are available, according to the UNODCÂ’s annual report.
The quantities impounded in the kingdom started to rise sharply in 2004 and reached 12.3 tonnes in 2006. “This is equivalent to the sum of all UK seizures – the biggest amphetamine market in Europe – from 2000 to 2006,” the report said.
A further two tonnes of amphetamines destined for Saudi Arabia were seized in neighbouring Oman.