‘Confused’ man held after 6.5kg of hash was found in his car at Dubai checkpoint
Dubai Customs officers have arrested a man on suspicion of smuggling 6.5kg of hashish hidden inside his car at a land border checkpoint.
Inspectors had been suspicious of the man as he appeared confused and tried to hurry through the customs inspection, said officials.
Initially they found three grams of crystal meth hidden inside a secret pocket in his clothes before discovering packages of hashish concealed in various compartments of the vehicle.
Hamid Mohammed, director of the Inland Customs Centres Management, said that thanks to the inspection team’s ability to read the man’s suspicious body language they were able to thwart a drug smuggling attempt.
The man, who arrived from a neighbouring country and whose identity was not disclosed, was detained and now faces prosecution.
“The customs inspection system at borders is highly efficient,” said Mr Mohammed.
“In addition to that, our staff are highly skilled and trained. We use the latest inspection technologies in our work.”
Mr Mohammed said Dubai Customs is the first line of defence against drug traffickers.
Last September, a Dubai Customs task force foiled a plot to smuggle more than 200,000 pills and other items of narcotics into the country.
Officers seized 980kg of controlled drugs and other restricted medicine flown into the emirate. The total haul was valued at Dh6.2 million ($1.7 million).
Customs teams also confiscated 33,284 tablets, medicine and restricted drugs weighing 460kg, with an estimated street value of Dh1 million.
A further 175,300 capsules of the banned drug tramadol – an opioid used to treat chronic pain – were found in 22 parcels weighing 520kg, with an estimated street value of about Dh5.25 million.