Dubai foils bid to smuggle 5m Captagon pills
DUBAI: The Dubai Customs with the help of K-9 Sniffer Dog unit successfully thwarted an attempt to smuggle 5 million Captagon pills into the country through Jebel Ali.
The illegal shipment was tracked by the customs intelligence personnel who shared the information and images of the shipment through the Regional Intelligence Liaison Office (RILO).
The RILO had informed of a drug shipment in a nearby country. Post further analysis and data comparison, the team at Jebel Ali & TECOM Customs Centre decided to track similar shipments that were entering Dubai in a container that had vehicle spare parts coming from a country that didn’t usually trade with spare parts.
The container was tracked through the smart Vessel Tracking System, developed by Dubai Customs. The container was scanned, and with the help of the customs K-9 Dog unit, 5 million Captagon pills that weighed 500kg were all seized.
DUBAI: As 2019 unfolds, with the support and cooperation amongst various customs’ departments, a major attempt to smuggle large number of Captagon pills at Jebel Ali and Tecom Customs Centre was successfully thwarted.
The illegal shipment was tracked by the customs intelligence personnel who shared the information and images of the shipment through the Regional Intelligence Liaison Ofice (RILO).
The Regional Intelligence Liaison Ofice (RILO) is a centre for collecting and analysing data, which also disseminates information throughout global customs network. As a fundamental pillar of the World Customs Organization (WCO)’S Enforcement Strategy, Intelligence and Information Exchange is facilitated through eleven (11) RILOS covering the six (6) regions of the WCO.
The RILO had informed of a drug shipment in a nearby country. Post further analysis and data comparison, the team at Jebel Ali & TECOM Customs Center decided to track similar shipments that were entering Dubai in a container that had vehicle spare parts coming from a country that didn’t usually trade with spare parts. The container was tracked through the smart Vessel Tracking System, developed by Dubai Customs.
The container was scanned, and with the help of the customs K-9 Dog unit, 5 million Captagon pills that weighed 500kg were all seized. This also indicated the rise in the number of Captagon pills seized since Jan.2018 to 15 million pills.
Jebel Ali & TECOM Customs Center has made 19 seizures between 2016 and 2019. These included 225 million narcotic pills and 51 kg of other drugs.
Shuaib Al Suwaidi, Customs Intelligence Director at Dubai Customs revealed how they track shipments on their way to Dubai’s entry points based on numerous data and intelligence resources.
Commenting on the seizure, Director of Dubai Customs Ahmed Mahboob Musabih pointed out and appreciated the efforts and coordination between the customs departments that helped combat illegitimate trade thwarted the narcotic drugs’ smuggling attempts.
“We are vigilant and well prepared to face any challenge, and attempts to smuggle such illegal contrabands into the UAE through any of the Dubai entry points.
“Following the vision and leadership of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, the super sophisticated and advanced skills, infrastructure and equipment at the Dubai Customs has resulted in well controlling and supervising such illegal smuggles through any of the entry points and borders of Dubai,” says Musabih.
Shuaib Al Suwaidi, Customs Intelligence Director at Dubai Customs revealed they track shipments on their way to Dubai’s entry points based on numerous data and intelligence resources.