Dubai Customs inspection officers at Dubai International Airport have seized 5.95 kilograms of marijuana which a traveler had tried to smuggle into the county concealed in peanut paste.
The passenger, who was travelling from an African country, appeared anxious and Dubai Customs – using highly innovative technology used to thwart illegal or banned substances into the UAE – found the contraband hidden within rolls of the nut product, the department said.
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“We suspected the passenger's bag while passing the X-ray machine and signs of anxiety were observed on the passenger,” said Ibrahim Al-Kamali, director of the passenger operations department at Dubai Customs.
“In addition to our highly skilled staff, we use the latest inspection technologies in our work.”
“We manually searched the bag and discovered 5.95kg of marijuana hidden inside six rolls of peanut paste.”
Al-Kamali said Dubai Customs “emphasizes its role in consolidating the concept of safe customs globally by intensifying drug seizure operations and implementing new initiatives and mechanisms that achieve this goal in accordance with its strategy 2021-2026.”
He added: “Dubai Customs spares no effort to achieve this strategic goal, by hiring highly qualified employees and customs officers, and enrolling them in specialized training courses to help them achieve this goal and providing customs centers with the latest inspection devices. Dubai Customs is the first line of protection for society from the penetration of these destructive toxins to the individuals and the market.”
Earlier this month Al Arabiya English exclusively reported how Dubai Customs made almost 5,000 seizures during last year – including the country’s largest-ever haul of crushed captagon, the highly addictive amphetamine.
Adel al-Suwaidi, director of Dubai Custom’s technical support department, said some of the recent innovations being used by Dubai Customs include the Smart Inspection Table. It features an integrated system that helps track and document the inspection process at Dubai Airports.
Another recent innovation is the ‘Customs Submarine’, which can take high-quality 3D pictures and videos of vessels’ hulls underwater to thwart any smuggling attempts.
Similarly, Dubai Customs has recently developed underwater drones termed ‘Customs Dolphins’ that can be sent to control and monitor vessels before entering the wharfage.
Read more:
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