Security officials in Yemen on Thursday destroyed a large quantity of hashish and thousands of narcotic tablets north of Hajjah province, which were seized from smugglers linked to Houthi criminal gangs, Saudi Press Agency reported.

The National Army forces in the Fifth Military Region destroyed 1,158 kilograms of hashish and 7,700 illicit pills, which had been seized during the last four months, in the presence of the representative of the joint operations, representatives of the region’s intelligence and military police and security officials from Hajjah governorate.

“Gangs linked to the Houthi militia rely on the trade of contraband as a source of financing for their war against the Yemenis, but the forces of the Fifth Military Region are on high alert to pursue and arrest hashish and drug smugglers in the governorate,” the statement said.

The move comes four months after more than 1,000 kilograms of hashish and 48,000 narcotic tablets were destroyed in October, bringing the total amount of hashish destroyed in the last three years to more than four tons.