Saudi Arabia, Yemen agree to fighting weapons smuggling
Yemen-Saudi Arabia, Politics, 6/10/2003

Saudi Arabia and Yemen on Sunday agreed to work together to fight smuggling of weapons amid increasing security fears following the explosions that took place in the foreigners' complexes in Riyadh in May.

The Saudi News agency said that the minister of the interior Prince Nayef Bin Abdul Aziz and his Yemeni counterpart Rashad Muhammad al-Oleimi signed the agreement whose details were not disclosed.

However, al-Oleimi said in an arrival statement in Riyadh that "sensitive conditions in the region make it imperative for the security departments in the two countries to double their efforts to protect security and stability." Al-Oleimi added " sides concerned in the Kingdom notified us that weapons smuggled from Yemen had entered Saudi Arabia."

This was in reply to a question of press information which said that smuggled ammunition from Yemen entered Saudi Arabia and were used in the explosions of May 12 in the capital Riyadh which resulted in killing 35 persons.

In a press conference broadcast by the Saudi TV, al-Oleimi was asked about media reports which said that the executors of the Riyadh explosion used explosives smuggle from Yemen. He added that the Saudi authorities informed Yemen that the weapons were smuggled from Yemen. He said that the question of smuggling and fighting it require large financing and Yemen is trying so with the confines of its resources.

The Saudi border guards arrest every year thousands of smugglers and persons who try to sneak into the Kingdom and seize large amounts of drugs, weapons and ammunition on the 1800 km long border with Yemen.

For his part, Prince Nayef said he hopes that this agreement will help to limit the terrorist activities and to control the smuggling operations.

Previous Stories:
  Yemen gets suspected al-Qaida members from Saudi Arabia   (5/29/2003)
  Yemenis sneak to Saudi Arabia   (12/17/2002)
  Saudi crown prince, President Saleh review developments   (11/25/2002)

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