Drug gangs have been targeting Saudi Arabia not for trade or profit but to destroy its youth, according to the National Committee for Combating Drugs.

“This is evident from the fact that the large quantities of seized drugs that were smuggled into the Kingdom have not been recorded in any other Arab state,” said Abdelelah Mohammed Al-Sharif, NCNC secretary-general.

Al-Sharif revealed this on the sidelines of a training course on drug prevention at the Imam Muhammad bin Saud Islamic University. He said that most victims of drug addiction are generally students aged 19 to 21 and that most of them rely on substances to “fill a vacuum.” He added that Captagon pills are the most popular among young addicts.

Al-Sharif, however, pointed out that the Kingdom is making a great headway in its drive to combat drug abuse by undertaking preventive measures through Beacon, a national drug prevention project of Sabic.

He said the project, launched by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Naif, was based on numerous global studies and the experiences of different states in the field.

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