Dubai Customs seized 5.6 kilograms of cocaine carried by an inbound traveler at Dubai International Airport, Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported on Tuesday.
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At the terminal’s checkpoint, customs staff caught the inbound female passenger from a Lain American country after her luggage was flagged for a routine x-ray scan which caused them to spot an abnormal density at the bottom of her suitcase.
The woman was then stopped by inspection officers and asked to provide her passport to verify her identity.
She said she had nothing to declare in her luggage but the Dubai Customs staff searched her bag and found a secret pocket inside the inner lining which was loaded with black plastic sacks wrapped in transparent adhesive. These sacks contained white powder which was later identified as cocaine upon further examination, weighing 3.2 kilograms.
After further inspection, they then found another 2,473 grams of cocaine concealed in bottles of shampoo and other body care products.
“The UAE is a global model to follow in curbing the trafficking of illicit drugs and safeguarding society from their dangers,” WAM quoted Ibrahim Kamali, director of the Passenger Operations Department as saying.
He added that the authority has been focusing its efforts on increasing its capacity to detect and impound all harmful substances before reaching other people.
“Despite the creative tricks some passengers use to hide prohibited materials, our highly-trained inspectors and advanced systems can effectively thwart smuggling attempts,” he said.
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