Cops look for woman leader of major drug ring

Dubai police seized nearly 52 kg of heroin concealed in oranges boxes which a Pakistani drugs ring tried to smuggle into the emirate. Reacting to the news, readers urged authorities to enforce death punishment on narcotics dealers.

Police said they seized the drugs after spending nearly a year watching that gang, which is led by a woman, adding that they are trying to track her down.

The heroin was “expertly” concealed inside 2,600 oranges crates destined for the emirate but they were discovered by Dubai’s counter-drug squads and the smugglers were arrested, the paper said.

“The Pakistani gang is headed by a woman who is being tracked down by the authorities,” the paper said, quoting Major General Abdul Jalil Mohammed Al Asmawi, director general of the counter-drugs department in Dubai.

In comments sent to the paper, readers said the high rate of drug smuggling to the UAE was a result of lax penalties and urged the country to join Saudi Arabia in enforcing capital punishment against all narcotics smugglers.

“These criminals are seeking to destroy our society. We appeal for our wise leadership to enforce the death sentence against such smugglers. Jailing them for a few years and deporting them will not deter them as they will go and smuggle again into another country,” said a reader, identified as Shamsi.

Another reader identified only as Karkim said: "Drug smugglers think a million of times before smuggling into Saudi Arabia because it strictly enforces death punishment. We call on our authorities to follow suit.”

A reader named Khalifa suggested the execution of those smugglers in a public place to be shown live on television.

“Let the so-called human rights groups then defend these smugglers while they do nothing for those people who perish as a result of drugs.”

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