Sharjah customs carried out 2,521 seizures of drugs in 10 months
ABU DHABI: Sharjah customs recently seized an illegal shipment of crystal methamphetamine, weighing 123kg, being smuggled into the UAE.
The shipment, which was coming through a sea port, was hidden at the botom of a refrigerated container loaded with fruits and vegetables coming from an Asian country.
Upon inspection, Sharjah customs inspectors became suspicious about the fruit when they detected traces of welding on the floor. Upon further investigation, inspectors discovered five steel boxes containing the drugs.
The Commissioner of customs and Chairman of the Federal customs Authority, Ali Saeed Matar Alneyadi, has praised the work of the Sharjah Sea Ports, customs and Free Zones Authority in combating drug smuggling through the country’s ports, and its role in protecting society from this hazardous epidemic.
Alneyadi said that Sharjah customs is positioned among the top listed customs departments in the UAE, regarding the number of drugs seizures registered during the first ten months of 2020. Sharjah customs carried out 2,521 seizures, which represents 63 per cent of total drug seizures during the same period.
“The numbers and indices of seizures carried out by the State customs Sector indicate the extent of the hazard of potential operations practiced by drugs smuggling gangs targeting the UAE youth community. At the same time, it reflects the extent of the alertness of the UAE customs Sector and the magnitude of the role directed towards combating drug smuggling,” said Alneyadi.
Alneyadi also stated that Sharjah customs significantly contributed in reaching the targeted percentage for the State customs Sector, noting that its share of seizures in 2019 was 39 per cent.
Recently, Dubai Customs foiled a drug smuggling operation, the biggest haul seized at the coastal borders.
The seizure, carried out by the Creek and Deira Wharfage Customs Center, which operates under the Sea Customs Management, comprised 662kg of different types of narcotics.