6.09 PM Friday, 29 March 2024
  • City Fajr Shuruq Duhr Asr Magrib Isha
  • Dubai 04:56 06:10 12:26 15:53 18:37 19:52
29 March 2024

Cross-border drug smugglers arrested

The truck used to carry drugs. (SUPPLIED)

Published
By Staff Writer

Abu Dhabi Police said it arrested three truck drivers who were caught red-handed with an 86kg shipment of hashish trying to smuggle it to another Gulf country.

The three drivers involved, all Arab nationals, planned to stash away the drugs inside the spare tires of a truck, which they planned to drive in rotation to the said GCC country and then to haul the drugs to a third GCC country where they were to hand it over to the leader of their gang, according to a press release by Abu Dhabi Police.

The gang leader and his assistant are nationals of the said country, the statement said and were captured by officials at the Ministry of Interior of the said Gulf country.

As part of the Monitored Delivery operation, the police laid a trap for the gang whereby one of its members, who had already been detained in the UAE, was released from prison to drive the truck to its destination across the UAE's borders and then come back accompanied by secret policemen.

The statement said the hashish was hidden in pockets concealed within the spare tyres of the lorry driven by the former prisoner. Hashish is a potent form of cannabis.

Teams from Abu Dhabi and the other Gulf country collaborated in surveillance and sting operations following an agreement to facilitate the workings of the Monitored Delivery team.

The criminal and the lorry returned to UAE accompanied by the Monitored Delivery team, according to the agreement of the two parties to complete legal investigation with the criminals, while the police of the GCC country in question jailed the accused.

The two authorities will continue to co-ordinate to refer all criminals and seized evidence to the concerned judicial authorities, said Colonel Maktoum Ali Al Sherifi, Director of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

Lieutenant Colonel Sultan Al Darmaki said further details were being kept confidential as investigations continue. "The UAE's strategic location makes it a transit target for gangs in drug-producing countries looking to ship narcotics to gangs in drug-consumer countries," he said. "Our police are always on the alert to curb those traffickers, regardless of the new methods they create to smuggle their goods, and bring them to justice."

 

Keep up with the latest business news from the region with the Emirates Business 24|7 daily newsletter. To subscribe to the newsletter, please click here.