Colonel Dr. Rashid Mohammad Borshid, Head of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) announced that Abu Dhabi Police has managed, through regional and international cooperation, to foil four bids to smuggle heroin through the airports of three cities, Dubai Muscat, and Milan. “The Abu Dhabi Police also succeeded in foiling a fifth attempt to illegally trade a large amount of heroin in one of the Emirates,” he added.
Colonel Borshid said: “The Abu Dhabi Police had recently reported important intelligence information to the Anti-Narcotics Federal Directorate General at the Ministry of Interior, which in turn informed the relevant authorities. This helped foil the attempts to smuggle and trade 22 kilograms of expensive heroin. It is noteworthy that the estimated market value of the confiscated drugs at the wholesale level amounted to more than AED 1,500,000 and to AED 10 million at the retail level”.
“Five individuals of Asian and African nationalities were arrested; two at Dubai Airport, a third at Muscat airport, and a fourth was arrested at Milan International Airport. The fifth suspect was caught red-handed and arrested in the UAE while trying to illegally trade 17.5 kilograms of narcotic drugs in one of the Emirates,” indicated Colonel Borshid.
He added: “In the five aforementioned cases, intelligence information was reported separately to the Anti-narcotics Federal Directorate General at the Ministry of Interior (being the competent authority), as part of the joint cooperation efforts. According to the information, four drug smuggling networks were operating through Gulf, international and local airports, while a fifth network was illegally trading drugs in one of the Emirates. The relevant authorities handled the received intelligence information with high professionalism, which ultimately led to the arrest of the smugglers and drug dealers.”
Head of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) lauded the efforts of the Anti-narcotics Federal Directorate General at the Ministry of Interior, and the drug control agencies in the Emirate of Dubai, the Sultanate of Oman and Italy for their full cooperation from the very moment they received the intelligence through official channels, until the arrest of smugglers and drug dealers. “We look forward to strengthening this kind of local, regional and international cooperation, with the aim of protecting community members and all individuals from this dangerous scourge,” concluded Borshid.
The details of the five seizures have been stated by Lt. Colonel Sultan Suwayeh Al Darmaki, Chief of the Anti-Drug Section at CID. He lauded the efforts of the Abu Dhabi Police who led in two of the cases to the arrest of two travelers (of Asian nationalities) who tried to smuggle heroin-filled capsules hidden in their stomachs through Dubai International Airport, when returning from a trip to an Asian country. A hi-tech body scan revealed respectively 118 capsules in which 50 grams of heroin was concealed, and 104 capsules weighting 900 grams.
“In the third and fourth cases, the Abu Dhabi Police helped arresting a passenger (of Asian nationality) at Muscat airport, arriving from an Asian country, with 134 capsules in which 1.200 kg of heroin was concealed in his stomach. Another Asian passenger retuning from an Asian country was also arrested with 940 grams of heroin, that he tried to smuggle across Milan International Airport,” added Lt. Colonel Al Darmaki.
Furthermore, Al Darmaki indicated that the Abu Dhabi Police reported intelligence information collected after an undercover operation to an anti-drug agency in the UAE, care of the Ministry of Interior. “The information led to the arrest of an individual (of African nation