Customs officers at Dubai International Airport seized hundreds of illegal items during the first half of the year. The passenger operations department made 1,306 criminal seizures and 257 customs seizures, state news agency Wam reported. It came following a tour of the airport by director general of Dubai Customs Ahmed Musabih. He thanked officers at the facility for their efforts in thwarting smuggling attempts. "Dubai has invested billions to get the infrastructure of its ports and airports to a very advanced world-class level," said Mr Musabih. "This hugely benefits the national economy and Dubai trade as part of the emirate’s vision of maintaining its status as a unique hub of trade and tourism." Dubai airport caught more than 1,000 people attempting to smuggle illegal goods into the UAE last year. Officials said the tactics employed by criminals ranged from highly sophisticated efforts to conceal drugs to cruder techniques. In one example, a smuggler hid heroin in a wheelchair during the staging of the Special Olympic Games. It was also revealed on Saturday, meanwhile, that officials handled 31 million items of luggage for 17.7 million passengers on board 135,000 flights arriving to Dubai over the same period. Dubai is the world's busiest airport by international traffic. Close to 90 million passengers used the hub last year, most of whom were in transit.
