Children are being targeted by enemies abroad through social networking sites. (SPA)

The narcotic mafia, backed by the country’s enemies, is targeting Saudi Arabia as part of its plan to undermine the Kingdom’s resources, said a top Saudi official on Tuesday.

Speaking to the media, Maj. General Ahmed bin Saadi Al-Zahrani, head of the Directorate General for Drug Control, said that the mafia replaces 90 percent of their narcotics — captagon and other drugs — with a fatal substance that causes mental and physical damage within a short period.

He said the aim of smuggling these toxins into the Kingdom is not to earn money but to cause maximum mental harm.

The official, who was speaking on the sidelines of the Sixth National Forum on the Prevention of Drugs (Nibras), held in Tabuk on Monday, said that the Kingdom is facing a big challenge in fighting this scourge.

He urged members of society — including parents — to keep a watch on young children and educate them about the lifetime risk caused by drugs. He said: “Our children are being targeted by enemies abroad through social networking sites. They want to destabilize the security and stability of this country and cause mental agony for these youth. They want them to become tools in the hands of unscrupulous elements.”

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