Article 53 of the Saudi Anti-Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances Law

This article widens the scope of confiscation to cover the tools and funds connected with the offense, and requires that it be by court judgment and without prejudice to the rights of others acting in good faith.

What is confiscated:

1. The seized machines, tools and means of transport used in committing the offense.
2. The funds and items derived or obtained, directly or indirectly, from the offense, even if their true nature or ownership has been concealed or disguised.
3. The proceeds of the acts criminalized by the Law, even if converted into funds of another kind. Under Article 1, proceeds are any money or thing of monetary value obtained directly or indirectly as a result of offenses under the Law.
4. The equivalent value set for the unlawful proceeds if they have been mixed with funds acquired from lawful sources.
5. The land planted with the plants listed in Table No. (4) if it is owned by the offender; if he does not own it, the court considers terminating the instrument of possession.

The "good faith" qualification is important: a person who has a right over any of these items and acted in good faith is not affected by the confiscation. The article does not detail how good faith is proved.

This article complements Article 52, which confiscates the seized narcotics themselves and anything unlawful to make, hold, sell or use, which are then destroyed or handed to a government body. It is followed by Article 54, which allows the competent court to order a precautionary attachment on the funds of drug smugglers or traffickers, their spouses and minor children until the case is decided, where there is evidence or indications that their source is an offense under Article 3.

Anyone with a right over funds or a vehicle confiscated in a drug case can consult a lawyer specialized in criminal cases.