Dubai Police seize $76m drugs in UAE's largest ever haul

[Khafee]

Dubai Police seize $76m drugs in UAE's largest ever haul
13 May 2019
Two international drug smuggling gangs have been captured in the largest anti-narcotics operation in the UAE's history

Major General Abdullah Khalifa Al Marri, Commander-in-Chief of the Dubai Police, revealed details about Operation Stoker at a press conference.

Two international drug smuggling gangs have been captured in the largest anti-narcotics operation in the UAE's history, it was announced on Monday.

Major General Abdullah Khalifa Al Marri, Commander-in-Chief of the Dubai Police, revealed details about Operation Stoker, which was conducted by drug enforcement officers from the General Department of Anti-Narcotics of the Dubai Police.

The operation led to the capture of two international drug smuggling gangs and revealed their method of smuggling drugs via the spare parts of cars, state news agency WAM reported.

During the operation, Dubai Police drug enforcement officers seized 365kg of heroin, crystal meth and hashish, with a market value of AED278 million ($75.8 million), the largest ever haul in the UAE, Al Marri added.

He said the operation resulted in the capture of 16 suspects from both gangs which targeted young Emirati citizens and residents.

Dubai Police seize $76m drugs in UAE's largest ever haul

Two international drug smuggling gangs have been captured in the largest anti-narcotics operation in the UAE's history

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[Khafee]

Heroin and crystal meth seized in UAE's largest drug bust
Dubai Police say 365kgs worth an estimated Dh278 million was discovered
alam Al Amir
May 13, 2019

A Dubai Customs inspector uses a special canine unit to search for drugs in an unloaded shipment in Jebel Ali Port in Dubai. Sarah Dea / The National

Hundreds of kilos of heroin, crystal meth and hash have been seized in what Dubai Police described as the country's largest drug bust to date.

Drugs worth an estimated Dh278 million were recovered in an operation that led to 16 arrests.

Police said the probe spanned across Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman and Umm Al Quwain and Interpol were involved at one stage.

Two criminal groups were monitored during an investigation spanning months.

“Their attempts to distribute the drugs inside our community have been foiled,” said Major General Abdullah Khalifa Al Marri, head of Dubai Police.

“This is the largest registered seizure of narcotics in this country."

Police would not state the nationalities of the men, describing them only as Asians.

The suspects - may of whom worked as cleaners and maintenance workers as cover - hid the drugs inside spare car parts and stored them in warehouses.

Police said a number of countries were involved in exchanging information and that the data analysis centre at Dubai Police played a major role in analysing data data and predicting suspects' movements.

Colonel Khaled bin Muweiza, deputy head of anti-narcotics, said round-the-clock surveillance ran for nearly three months towards the end of last year.
“The boss of this group of six men lived as a cleaner and was in direct contact with a drug lord in his home country,” he said.

Five of this group were arrested on January 26 near their home in Sharjah.

“Two of them were receiving a suitcase with 4.2kg of heroin inside of it at the time of arrest,” he said.

The sixth suspect was arrested at Sharjah International Airport trying to flee the country.

A second related gang of ten suspects in Sharjah were found with more than 240kg of drugs.

The men are expected to appear in court in the coming months.

Officials said that the drugs were specifically intended for sale in the UAE and aimed at young people.

Heroin and crystal meth seized in UAE's largest drug bust | The National

Dubai Police say 365kgs worth an estimated Dh278 million was discovered

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