Authorities in Saudi Arabia seized 249,779 amphetamine pills and 25 kilograms of hashish from smugglers, the official Saudi Press Agency reported on Sunday.

Narcotics officers seized the tablets from a Saudi citizen who had hidden them inside hydraulic drilling equipment and was attempting to smuggle them into the country through Jeddah’s port.

The man was arrested and has been referred to the public prosecutor for further legal action.

In a separate incident, border guards in the Sakam area of Najran, near the southern border with Yemen, seized 25 kilograms of hashish from a smuggler.

Legal proceedings were initiated and the contraband was handed over to authorities.

Authorities in the Kingdom regularly thwart attempts by smugglers attempting to bring in drugs from neighboring countries.

Many of the drugs seized originate from Syria and Lebanon, where an unstable political climate provides a breeding ground for the production of illicit substances.

Smugglers attempt to bring narcotics into wealthier Gulf states including Saudi Arabia, where buyers are likely to pay higher prices.