Dubai Customs seize 76kgs of meth and hashish at Hamriya Port

In another major drug haul, officials in Dubai seized 76.31kg of narcotics at Hamriya Port.

Dubai Customs intercepted the drug trafficking operation 30.15kg of crystal meth and 46.16kg of hashish, together worth Dhs47.5m, which was found stashed inside an inbound container shipment, reported news agency WAM.

Ibrahim Kamali, acting executive director of Customs Inspection Division at Dubai Customs, said that its officers became suspicious of a shipment bound for Hamriya Port after it was flagged by the Risk Engine system as being a high risk shipment.

#DubaiCustoms busted a major #drug trafficking operation, seizing 76.31 kg of #narcotics at #Hamriya Port.
The Dh47.5 million worth of drugs comprising of #crystalmeth and #hashish were found skillfully stashed inside an inbound container shipment#Syaj #BorderSecurity pic.twitter.com/ybSnMsicyh

— جمارك دبي | Dubai Customs (@DubaiCustoms) January 2, 2021

A task force was formed, comprising of inspection officers at Hamriya Customs Centre and control room staff, supported by the Seyaj unit, to track the shipment.

The container was scanned from the outside and found to have abnormal density. With the help of K-9 sniffer dogs, the teams located the drugs.

An on-site mobile laboratory screened the substances and confirmed the nature of the drugs.

“Dubai Customs has recently stepped up its efforts to better counter drug smuggling into the country by raising alertness levels of its teams and enhancing the efficiency of control and inspection operations at various points of entry. Our strong customs intelligence along with the use of advanced scanning equipment and inspection technologies have been instrumental to deterring several drug trafficking attempts,” said Kamali.

Dubai Customs’ Sea Customs Centres Management  has already launched a ‘Safe Nation’ campaign to clamp down on drug smuggling. “The campaign has so far dealt severe blows to drug traffickers and smugglers in Dubai over recent months,” said Sultan Sayf Al Suwaidi, acting director of Sea Customs Centers Management.

In November, Dubai Customs officers foiled an attempt to smuggle 663kg of drugs onboard a dhow at the Creek and Deira Wharfage Customs Centre – the biggest drug seizure at the emirate’s coastal borders.

Read: Video: Dubai Customs seize over 663kgs of drugs including crystal meth, heroin, opium and cannabis