Saudi Arabia announced on Friday that it was banning the import of fruits and vegetables from Lebanon as of Sunday due to drug smuggling concerns, read a statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency.
The statement said the Kingdom took the decision in line with its laws and international agreements to combat drugs smuggling in all of its forms.
It added that Saudi authorities have noticed increased drug smuggling activity targeting the Kingdom from Lebanon or the transit of goods through Lebanese territories.
Lebanese products are being used to smuggle drugs into the Kingdom or through its transit points to neighboring countries, it continued.
The statement said that Lebanese authorities have been repeatedly urged to curb such activity, but to no avail.
Saudi authorities are therefore forced to ban the import and transit of Lebanese fruits and vegetables as of Sunday and “until the concerned Lebanese authorities provide the sufficient and trusted guarantees to stop the systematic smuggling operations against the Kingdom.”
The Interior Ministry, with the concerned authorities, will continue to monitor other shipments arriving from Lebanon.
It vowed that it will continue to crack down on drug abuse, whether from Lebanon or other countries.
Lebanon is ready to cooperate with all states to fight drug smuggling after Saudi Arabia announced the ban, the Lebanese caretaker interior minister said on Friday.
Lebanese security "has been exerting tremendous efforts combating drug smuggling," Mohamed Fahmy told Reuters, adding that smugglers might sometimes succeed despite those "meticulous" efforts.
He also called for "more cooperation" between the security services in the two countries.
Lebanon's caretaker agriculture minister said on Friday that the Saudi ban was a "great loss" as the trade was worth $24 million a year.
"The issue is very serious especially if it negatively affects the rest of the Gulf states that could take similar or stringent measures," Abbas Mortada told Reuters.
