Dubai Police help bust global gang smuggling cocaine in sugar
In an international sting operation, the Dubai Police and law enforcement agencies of France, Spain, and Colombia recently dismantled a transnational organised crime syndicate involved in trafficking and smuggling cocaine in shipments of sugar from South America to Europe.
Code-named ‘Canne à Sucre’, the operation took place on May 5, when the Dubai Police arrested a key member of the criminal syndicate during a synchronised series of raids in France, Spain, and Colombia, which resulted in the arrest of 17 other criminals and the seizure of 22 tonnes of sugar contaminated with cocaine smuggled from Colombia through the Port of Le Havre in France.
Real-time exchange of security information
Stéphanie Cherbonnier, inspector-general and director of Anti-narcotics in France (Ofast), praised Dubai Police’s swift response in arresting the criminals. She said the General Department of Anti-narcotics at Dubai Police played an exceptional role in investigating and apprehending the criminals.
Cherbonnier said that the realtime exchange of security intelligence between the four law enforcement agencies contributed to the operation’s success.
Safer world
Lieutenant General Abdullah Khalifa Al Marri, commander-inchief of Dubai Police, said the Op ‘Canne à Sucre’ is another achievement of the fruitful cooperation between Dubai Police and international law enforcement agencies in tackling transnational organised crime.
Lt. Gen. Al Marri attributed the success to the UAE police establishing strong, active, and vital communication channels with the world’s police agencies to tackle transnational organised crime, while praising the efforts of the team from the General Department of Criminal Investigations, who located, tracked, and arrested the suspect.
He said determining the synchronised zero-hour between countries was the most crucial factor in the operation’s success.
Latest technologies
Maj-gen Khalil Ibrahim Al Mansouri, assistant commander-in-chief for Criminal Investigation Affairs at Dubai Police, said Op ‘Canne à Sucre’ was carried out in sync between the four police forces after exchanging security information with several European countries including the United Kingdom, and the USA.
He said that participating police forces utilised the latest technologies and tools in tracking down and apprehending the criminals.
Uncovering the network
Brigadier Eid Muhammad Hareb, director of the general department for anti-narcotics, said it all began in June 2021, when the French authorities investigated some companies that committed misappropriations during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The investigators found out that those companies and their managers’ identities were faked to hide their illegal activities and schemes of smuggling drugs into Europe through contaminated sugar shipments from Colombia.
“After meticulous monitoring, ten criminals were arrested in France, six of whom were placed in detention; seven others are in Spain, and one in Dubai,” he added.
Brig. bin Thani confirmed that nearly 22 tonnes of sugar packaged in 900 bags were seized in Thiais after the cargo was unloaded at the port of Le Havre in France.
He said investigators discovered that the criminal organisation was behind the import of 12 tonnes of tobacco seized by the Belgian authorities in August 2021, 600kg of cocaine seized in September 2021 in the port of Cartagena by the Colombian authorities as well as the laundering of several million euros.
The Op ‘Canne à Sucre’ is another achievement of the fruitful cooperation between Dubai Police and international law enforcement agencies in ensuring the world’s security and safety” Lieutenant General Abdullah Khalifa Al Marri , commander-in-chief of Dubai Police