A Dubai Customs inspector uses a sniffer dog to search for drugs at Jebel Ali Port. Sarah Dea / The National
A Dubai Customs inspector uses a sniffer dog to search for drugs at Jebel Ali Port. Sarah Dea / The National
A Dubai Customs inspector uses a sniffer dog to search for drugs at Jebel Ali Port. Sarah Dea / The National
A Dubai Customs inspector uses a sniffer dog to search for drugs at Jebel Ali Port. Sarah Dea / The National

Government

Dubai Customs foils 398 attempts to smuggle drugs in first three months of 2021

Officers seized more than 76kg of drugs hidden in a shipping container with street value of Dh47.5 million

Kelly Clarke
Kelly Clarke
UAE

June 27, 2021

  • English
  • Arabic

Dubai Customs prevented nearly 400 attempts to smuggle drugs into the city in the first three months of the year, including a shipment containing three million Captagon pills.

Officers from the anti-narcotics section seized the amphetamines as part of the 'Safe Homeland' campaign.

Teams from the ports, sea, passenger and air sections of the department foiled 398 drug smuggling attempts, the majority of which involved passengers.

During a recent seizure, officers found more than 76 kilograms of drugs, with a street value of Dh47.5 million, hidden inside a shipping container.

The haul included more than 30kg of crystal meth and 46kg of cannabis.

“We have turned our entry points into an impenetrable wall against all smuggling attempts thanks to our advanced systems, including the Smart Risk Engine, which Dubai Customs developed to detect and intercept suspicious shipments of all types,” said Shuaib Al Suwaidi, director of the customs intelligence department.

"The Intelligence Department analyses and assesses data and tracks shipments coming into Dubai."

He said the public could also give tips to authorities using the Rafid service, a secure communication channel between Dubai Customs and residents.

The customs department uses advanced systems for screening, including the container-scanning system at Jebel Ali Port and the smart bag inspection system at Dubai airports.

Last year, the department made 1,118 seizures at different entry points in Dubai.

Interpol drug bust across Mena - in pictures

More than Dh446 million worth of narcotics seized in coordinated drug bust across Middle East and Africa. Credit: Interpol
More than Dh446 million worth of narcotics seized in coordinated drug bust across Middle East and Africa. Credit: Interpol
The Lionfish operation was coordinated by Interpol and resulted in the arrest of 287 individuals. Credit: Interpol
The Lionfish operation was coordinated by Interpol and resulted in the arrest of 287 individuals. Credit: Interpol
In South Africa, crystal meth bound for Australia was hidden in sandals and inside sculptures of animals. Credit: Interpol
In South Africa, crystal meth bound for Australia was hidden in sandals and inside sculptures of animals. Credit: Interpol
The operations took place in March and April of this year, bringing together police and customs officials at borders and other hotspots. Credit: Interpol
The operations took place in March and April of this year, bringing together police and customs officials at borders and other hotspots. Credit: Interpol
Codenamed 'Operation Lionfish' and coordinated by Interpol, the bust was aimed at disrupting the trafficking of drugs in the region. Credit: Interpol
Codenamed 'Operation Lionfish' and coordinated by Interpol, the bust was aimed at disrupting the trafficking of drugs in the region. Credit: Interpol
Operation Lionfish also shed light on the constantly changing methods used by criminals to transport the illicit substances. Credit: Interpol
Operation Lionfish also shed light on the constantly changing methods used by criminals to transport the illicit substances. Credit: Interpol
In South Africa, crystal meth bound for Australia was hidden in sandals and inside sculptures of animals. Credit: Interpol
In South Africa, crystal meth bound for Australia was hidden in sandals and inside sculptures of animals. Credit: Interpol
Other types of contraband were also discovered and confiscated during the operations, including live pangolins, uncut diamonds, illicit cigarettes and vehicles. Credit: Interpol
Other types of contraband were also discovered and confiscated during the operations, including live pangolins, uncut diamonds, illicit cigarettes and vehicles. Credit: Interpol
An estimated 100 million euro (Dh446 million) worth of narcotics was seized in coordinated drug bust across the Middle East and Africa
An estimated 100 million euro (Dh446 million) worth of narcotics was seized in coordinated drug bust across the Middle East and Africa
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Esha Oza (captain), Al Maseera Jahangir, Emily Thomas, Heena Hotchandani, Indhuja Nandakumar, Katie Thompson, Lavanya Keny, Mehak Thakur, Michelle Botha, Rinitha Rajith, Samaira Dharnidharka, Siya Gokhale, Sashikala Silva, Suraksha Kotte, Theertha Satish (wicketkeeper) Udeni Kuruppuarachchige, Vaishnave Mahesh.

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Friday, Sept 26 – First ODI
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I

COMPANY%20PROFILE
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FIGHT%20CARD
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Produced by: Poetic License Motion Pictures; RSVP Movies

Director: Ritesh Batra

Cast: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Sanya Malhotra, Farrukh Jaffar, Deepak Chauhan, Vijay Raaz

How do Sim card scams work?

Sim swap frauds are a form of identity theft.

They involve criminals conning mobile phone operators into issuing them with replacement Sim cards by claiming to be the victim, often pretending their phone has been lost or stolen in order to secure a new Sim.

They use the victim's personal details - obtained through criminal methods - to convince such companies of their identity.

The criminal can then access any online service that requires security codes to be sent to a user's mobile phone, such as banking services.

Company profile

Name: Thndr

Started: October 2020

Founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr

Based: Cairo, Egypt

Sector: FinTech

Initial investment: pre-seed of $800,000

Funding stage: series A; $20 million

Investors: Tiger Global, Beco Capital, Prosus Ventures, Y Combinator, Global Ventures, Abdul Latif Jameel, Endure Capital, 4DX Ventures, Plus VC,  Rabacap and MSA Capital

The drill

Recharge as needed, says Mat Dryden: “We try to make it a rule that every two to three months, even if it’s for four days, we get away, get some time together, recharge, refresh.” The couple take an hour a day to check into their businesses and that’s it.

Stick to the schedule, says Mike Addo: “We have an entire wall known as ‘The Lab,’ covered with colour-coded Post-it notes dedicated to our joint weekly planner, content board, marketing strategy, trends, ideas and upcoming meetings.”

Be a team, suggests Addo: “When training together, you have to trust in each other’s abilities. Otherwise working out together very quickly becomes one person training the other.”

Pull your weight, says Thuymi Do: “To do what we do, there definitely can be no lazy member of the team.” 

The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm

Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm

Transmission: 9-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh117,059

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