Jean-Marc Lofficier and Randy Lofficier described the story as "a thinly-disguised remake of "Cigars of the Pharaoh"", an "Adventure of Tintin" which had been first serialised in 1934. Both feature the smuggling of opium, in crab tins and cigars respectively, and "desert treks, hostile tribes and, at the end, the infiltrating of a secret underground lair". They also opined that artistically, the story represented "a turning point in Hergé's career", because he had to switch to a daily format in , although as a result of this they felt that the final third of the story "seems rushed". Stating that the inclusion of a Japanese detective investigating drug smuggling in the Mediterranean makes no sense within the context of 1940s Europe, they ultimately awarded the story three out of five stars.