Expatriate Sentenced to 5 Years in Saudi Arabia for Gold Smuggling & Money Laundering

A Saudi court has sentenced an expatriate to five years in prison for money laundering after he attempted to smuggle gold out of the kingdom, according to prosecutors. The court also ruled that the 24K gold seized from the defendant, weighing two kilograms, be confiscated. Once his sentence is completed, the expatriate will be deported from Saudi Arabia. The accused, whose nationality was not disclosed, had hidden 16 gold bars in a bag while passing through a Saudi airport on his way to his home country. The incident date and location were not provided. Saudi Arabia has been intensifying its efforts to combat money laundering as part of its broader campaign against corruption. The public prosecution has vowed to take stringent action against anyone found guilty of harming the kingdom’s economy. Last month, a Saudi court convicted seven individuals, including an expatriate and six Saudi citizens, of laundering over SR1 billion ($267 million). In a separate case in August, two expatriates faced charges of money laundering totaling SR2.4 million. Under Saudi law, money laundering is a punishable offense that carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison, along with a fine of up to SR7 million ($1.87 million). The court also imposes travel bans on Saudi nationals equivalent to their imprisonment term. Non-Saudi convicts are deported after serving their sentence.