Dubai Customs bust close to 1,000 drug smuggling attempts

Nearly 1,000 drug smuggling attempts have been foiled by Dubai Customs in the first four months of this year.

The main drugs confiscated included tramadol tablets, captagon, opium, heroin, hemp seeds, crystal meth, marijuana, and other narcotics. Of the 936 seizures made, up from 558 from the same period last year, 222 attempts were foiled at airports.

Major seizures in the first four months of 2022 included an attempt to smuggle 2,968 boxes of coffee creamer containing amphetamine, thwarted at Jebel Ali port.

At Dubai International Airport, Dubai Customs officers foiled an attempt to smuggle 97 capsules of heroin, weighing 955 grams, swallowed by a passenger.

The Inland Customs Centers Management made ten crystal meth seizures during the first four months of this year and the smuggling of 42 kilograms of marijuana was thwarted. They were possessed by an African passenger at Dubai International Airport and were hidden inside the bags of dried hot peppers.

"Protecting the community is a major strategic goal in Dubai Customs and its five-year plan, and we are giving this role a great priority in light of the increasing risks, and as part of our commitment to our national duty," said Ahmed Mahboob Musabih, Director-General of Dubai Customs and CEO of Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation.

Musabih added, "With Dubai's progress in the global leadership race, the emirate has become an international model in fighting drugs and curbing their health and social damages. Dubai Customs actively participates in these efforts by developing the capabilities of its human resources, especially customs officers, in accordance with the best standards in customs inspection. The government department constantly updates and develops its systems and programs for monitoring suspicious shipments. We adopt an integrated series of procedures and techniques to address all smuggling attempts, in line with the department’s strategy 2021-2026 to lead safe customs globally."

The early warning technology represented by the Smart Risk Engine helps identify all suspicious shipments in advance. The customs centers are provided with the latest inspection devices, including the advanced container inspection system, the latest integrated global system for scanning and inspecting containers and moving trucks. It is capable of scanning 160 trucks per hour. The Siyaj program, the border security initiative, is constantly updated using the latest AI technologies.

#DubaiCustoms revealed an achievement of 936 drug seizures at all customs ports across land, sea, and air in the first four months of 2022, compared to 558 seizures in the same period last year#DrugAbuseDay #NoDrugs #BorderSecurity pic.twitter.com/tm41U7fY0O

— جمارك دبي | Dubai Customs (@DubaiCustoms) June 27, 2022