Dubai foils bid to smuggle 8kgs of narco-crystals

Dubai Customs said on Thursday that its inspectors at Dubai International Airport caught more than eight kilogrammes of narcotic crystals in three separated dispatches. Two of them were attempted by two Asian passengers residing in UAE coming to the country at Dubai International Airport and the third dispatch was at the possession of an African passenger heading to an Asian country.  

Ali Almaghawi, Directors of Customs Airports Operations, said: “One of our Customs team inspectors suspected a handbag that belongs to an Asian passenger coming to UAE via Dubai International Airport (T2). At seeing abnormal density inside the bag, the inspector decided to manually search the suspected bag, and eventually, he put a hand on six transparent bags full of a white substance physically looks like narcotic crystals, weighing more than 3.1.kg.”

The second dispatch was caught when the customs inspector suspected a bag at the transit when the inspection machine showed abnormal density inside the bag. The details of the female passenger who was at the transit concourse were identified.

In coordination with Anti-Drugs Office at Dubai Airport, the team moved to flights transfer area and the female passenger was called to accompany the team to the Arrival Hall (T1) where her bag was searched at her attendance.

The female passenger (from African nationality) denied any relation to the bag. The team faced her with the identity of her personal details and the information of the bag to make her confess. The bag was opened and 2.63kg of the narcotic crystal were found hidden at the peripheries of the bag.

The passenger said she was transporting the bag to someone staying at the destination of her arrival in some Asian country and she in turn would receive money in her country. The team was able to thwart her attempt before arriving at the last destination.

The third dispatch was thwarted in Dubai International Airport (T2). The seizure was 2.5kg of the narcotic crystal hidden by an Asian passenger arriving to the country. At the time of collecting his belongings from the baggage belt, the passenger looked worried and perturbed. That unusual behaviour attracted the attention of the officers and they closely put him under surveillance until reaching to the inspection machines. The customs officer instructed to physically search the baggage at the presence of the suspect and while scanning, unusual contents clearly monitored in one of the bags.  

While operating the manual inspection, the customs inspector found a white colour substance weighs 2.5kgs which have the same characteristics of the crystal narcotics that were wrapped carefully in a transparent plastic bag hidden in secret pockets at the bottom of the bag. The passenger during the investigation admitted that the bag, which contained the narcotics, belonged to him and he had received it from somebody in his country. 

Almaghawi emphasised that the skills and efficiency of the inspectors and the use of the most advanced inspection machines and tools along with the training courses provided by Dubai Customs in relation to how operate inspections, identify ways of smuggling, body language and investigation process will help them much in carrying out this national economic and social role keeping in mind that they represent and protect the country.

It is worth mentioning, the Crystal substance contains the methamphetamines which are stimulants that speed up the brain and damage its cells. It is produced into forms of ice or crystal meth. The base is wrapped in paper and stuffed into pipes where it is snorted, inhaled or smoked. Also it can be mixed with a drink, used in needles or swallowed (a practice called “bumbing”). Some of the pharmaceuticals companies use the methamphetamine substance in some medicals; however, some people illegally produce this substance by adding chemical detergent substances.

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