Saudi Arabia beheads 12th Pakistani in two months for heroin smuggling

E-Paper | March 18, 2026

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia on Thursday beheaded a Pakistani man for heroin smuggling, the twelfth person from Pakistan to be executed in the kingdom for drug trafficking since mid-October.

They are among 85 foreigners and Saudis put to death this year in the oil-rich kingdom, according to an estimated tally.

Saudi Arabia has one of the world's highest execution tolls.

The sentence against Ismail Khan Sayed was carried out in Eastern Province after his conviction for smuggling “a large amount” of heroin, the Interior Ministry said in a statement carried by the official Saudi Press Agency.

Read: Saudi Arabia beheads sixth Pakistani in three weeks

In addition to amphetamines and other drugs, Saudi authorities seized almost 18 kilogrammes of raw heroin during the Islamic calendar year that ended in October, according to the Interior Ministry.

The Gulf has become an increasingly important market for illicit drugs in recent years, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.

Rape, murder, apostasy and armed robbery are also punishable by death under Saudi Arabia's strict version of Islamic sharia law.

Read: Families mourn drug mules beheaded in Saudi Arabia

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Sunil

Dec 25, 2014 04:03pm

This is the 12th Pakistan beheaded for drugs. There is never Indian and Bangladeshi caught for drugs in holy kingdom.

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ERo

Dec 25, 2014 04:08pm

No comments?

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Ahmer

Dec 25, 2014 04:22pm

I wonder what compels them to take such grave risk. Is it really worth their lives?

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Wandering Around

Dec 25, 2014 04:23pm

don't these people learn a lesson?

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AMER RAO

Dec 25, 2014 04:43pm

Saudis are on right track, I am very confident half of Pakistanis are Afghans. Pakistan should follow them.

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Amer RAO

Dec 25, 2014 04:59pm

The world best Heroin produce in Afghanistan, and its billions of Dollars industry. ( like Cuba is famous for Cigars, Japan for Sushi , Italy for Pizza. Drug trafficking is the largest global commodity in profits after the oil and arms.

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Its me

Dec 25, 2014 05:01pm

And why are not we hearing news like this from other Arabic countries. I think there is no law in other countries.

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Ramesh Krishnan

Dec 25, 2014 05:17pm

The news of 10 people being beheaded for heroin smuggling didn't stop the 11th man to conduct the same mistake..They have to go to the root of the problem rather than beheading people

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Imtiaz

Dec 25, 2014 05:23pm

And most of them Afghans with Pakistani passport....

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Bipul

Dec 25, 2014 05:47pm

This shows that beheading is not a solution to this problem. Month after Month people are getting executed. Not sure whether they take such risk for their own gain or someone is forcing them to do it. If Saudi Arabia wants to curb drug smuggling, they must find the root cause of such incidents rather than simply executing the person caught.

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Yankee Cricket Fan

Dec 25, 2014 05:49pm

It seems like importing these drugs is a crime that is punishable with the death penalty, because the importers are foreigners, but using it is not, as users are all or mostly Saudis.

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santhosh raghavan

Dec 25, 2014 05:52pm

very sad one more human being beheaded? saudis won't dare to do this act against any US/European citizen.. most sufferers are Pakistan/India/Bangladesh..

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bauke

Dec 25, 2014 05:54pm

@Wandering Around Death penalty has never diminished criminality

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Rafi

Dec 25, 2014 06:03pm

Would someone please request the concerned agencies to upgrade frisking and checking at Pakistani airports especially for gulf bound flights to protect precious lives. Think of the families these people leave behind.

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Mamu

Dec 25, 2014 06:28pm

@Sunil There was a Bengali execute few days back. Please wake up.

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karachiwala

Dec 25, 2014 06:43pm

I am sure these persons are used without their knowledge, has Pakistan embassy ever tried to investigate and prove their innocence.

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Rightist

Dec 25, 2014 07:32pm

If Pakistan legalizes drugs it would earn huge tax revenues.

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anees zaidvi

Dec 25, 2014 08:52pm

@Sunil - No boasting ! They are involved in all sorts of crimes and activities INSIDE the Kingdom.

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Arif Azeem Lakho

Dec 25, 2014 09:10pm

Many illegal immigrants have managed to get ID and Passports in Pakistan who are now earning bad name for us while they are not genuinely pakistani.

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Zahid

Dec 25, 2014 10:11pm

Administration needs to look into all n any financiers to terrorist especially from Middle East n gulf countries. Those financiers irrespective of their status in their home countries must be extradited to Pakistan n tried in our military courts. Any Arab national supporting terrorist or involve in terrorist activity directly or indirectly, with or without diplomatic immunity should face our military courts. Government is requested to advise all muslim countries to stop supplying militants to Pakistan. We need our country back to us n without any condition.

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Yawar

Dec 25, 2014 11:19pm

So who in Saudi Arabia uses illegal drugs and what happens to them?

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Gundroo

Dec 26, 2014 12:33am

Wonder who are the biggest drug traders and alcohol importers in KSA ?

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T.M. Reddy

Dec 26, 2014 12:45am

What are the developed countries doing for these crimes? I am sure that they want ONLY PETROL....

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Abrar-ul-Haque, Virginia

Dec 26, 2014 01:03am

This kind of news are making headlines every time the incident takes place. When will some body in the government take notice as to whats going on and implement preventive measures

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ejaz

Dec 26, 2014 01:50am

This is not an Islam. I am not sure what is the punishment of drug smuggling in Quran. I am assuming everyone they catches, 10 or more may get away. That is the reason more people are trying. If these men were Pathans, then chances are they were Afghans. These men should have been stop by pakistani custom authority. We don't know whether these men were just mules or actually small time drug dealers looking to make some fast money. I am not sure whether I can recite "Innnah Lillahi wa innah alihi rajoon". I assuming these men were muslims.

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Manu USA

Dec 26, 2014 02:05am

I condemn killing as a human being. But, same time it is very sad that we still do things which are against humanity in larger interest.

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P Juneja

Dec 26, 2014 02:08am

If Pakistan allows Saudi Arabia to rule the country for a year, surely they will eliminate most problems (mean most problematic people of the country).

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Mahmood choudhari

Dec 26, 2014 02:18am

Crimes are less where law is enforced to its extent.

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blahistani

Dec 26, 2014 02:25am

@Sunil, It makes sense because Pakistan borders Afghanistan which is a major source of opiates.

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Dr. Salaria, Aamir Ahmad

Dec 26, 2014 03:36am

First of all these hapless and helpless Pakistanis are not tried through a fair, free, equitable and transparent "due process of law" and where does Islam say that an Islamic state like Saudi Arabia should behead heroin smugglers?

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Rajendra Tiwari

Dec 26, 2014 04:19am

Saudis should stop consuming illegal drugs and there will be no drug traffickers to Kingdom. They should not only behead the traffickers but also the consumers.

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S Balakrishnan

Dec 26, 2014 04:34am

The detention of Saudi journalist Maysa al-Amoudi along with her friend Loujain al-Hathlout by the Saudi Arabian police just because they were driving cars deserves to be condemned in the severest possible manner. A worldwide campaign should be launched to get them released immediately.

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W.Shaikh

Dec 26, 2014 04:56am

Pakistan should protest these killings. I have not heard any European or American beheaded. I remember there was one British was caught for drug smuggling and King Fahad pardoned him at the request of Prince Charles. What a shame that Saudi Arabia hangs one Pakistani almost every week. I understand drug smuggling is a crime but capital punishment is too much for it. What king and other Saudi officials do are more serious crime than drug trafficking.

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Dr Aziz

Dec 26, 2014 05:01am

Didn't expect from our brothers in saudi

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Haroon Al-Rashid

Dec 26, 2014 05:41am

This is a conspiracy of RAW and the CIA to discredit Pakistan. Ex-ISI Chief Hamid Gul has rightly emphasized that none of these men (including the Taliban suicide bombers) are circumcised, and he should know, as he has access to the remains.

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Shaikh

Dec 26, 2014 06:24am

@Dr Aziz I don't consder them as my brothers, In fact they don't cosider Pakistanis as their equal but inferior and treat them very harshly. Being a dictatorship, there is no due process, may be these Pakistanis get framed. In fact I consider Indians as my brothers, We are from the same land, with same culture, racial background, history and some with the same language and can interact with each other in a brotherly fashoin. Faith is not the only component which can create brotherly feelings.

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None of u r Bussiness

Dec 26, 2014 06:50am

@Imtiaz State of denial

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Shaharyar

Dec 26, 2014 07:30am

"Rape, murder, apostasy and armed robbery are also punishable by death under Saudi Arabia's strict version of Islamic sharia law" .........there is no strict version of Islamic law........there is only one version of it and that is in practice is KSA.

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san

Dec 26, 2014 07:39am

Why always Pakistani ?. Whenever any major terror attack occurs in any part of the world, there will be a link with Pakistan ?. Pakistanis are always caught in evil activities like terrorism, drug trafficking etc. The basic culture of Pakistan must be changed. With evil means you cannot achieve any mile-stones.

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