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Operation Storm: UAE arrests six for smuggling Captagon worth over $1 billion


UAE authorities stopped a smuggling attempt of Captagon worth over $1 billion (AED 3.87 billion) in street value, according to a statement by a high-ranking government official on Thursday.

Six members of a criminal gang were arrested in an operation by Dubai Police who confiscated more than 13 tons of the amphetamine-based drug, which derives its name from a once-legal drug against narcolepsy.

Dubai Police arrest six suspected of smuggling Captagon into the country. (WAM)

Dubai Police arrest six suspected of smuggling Captagon into the country. (WAM)

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A video released on X, formerly known as Twitter, by the UAE’s Interior Minister Sheikh Saif bin Zayed, shows the local authorities monitoring, tracking and finally moving in to apprehend the suspects.

Dubbed Operation Storm, the authorities acted on intel regarding “smuggling large quantity of drugs,” upon which the drugs were hidden in 651 doors and 432 decorative panels across five containers.

After tracking the first suspect and arresting him after he submitted an extraction claim on three out of the five flagged containers, the teams followed the illicit shipment to an industrial area to apprehend the rest of the gang.

The second suspect was arrested shortly after in Dubai while a third man who is also linked to the shipment of the three seized containers was apprehended in a different emirate.

The fourth and fifth individuals were tracked upon staking a claim for the remaining two containers storing the drug, and were arrested when they arrived to clear the shipment with customs.

The sixth and final suspect was taken into custody after tracking the final two container shipments to a nearby emirate where he had accepted the shipment to offload into a warehouse.

•إحباط تهريب أكثر من 13 طناً من أقراص الكبتاجون المخدرة موزعة في 5 حاويات.
•قيمتها السوقية تجاوزت الـ 3 مليارات درهم.
•العصابة الإجرامية حاولت تهريب المواد المخدرة عبر دسها في 651 باب و 432 لوح ديكور.
•ألقي القبض على أفراد العصابة الإجرامية الستة متلبسين.
أشكر الأخ الفريق… pic.twitter.com/8gXD1CD6iE

— سيف بن زايد آل نهيان (@SaifBZayed) September 14, 2023

Dubai Police officials, following the success of the bust, spent “several days” removing the drugs from the doors and panels, according to report by the state-run WAM news agency.

The report added that the shipment, which was brought in on a cargo ship, was destined for another country.

Arab states have long waged a war against the amphetamine-like drug Captagon, which has long been thought to be flourishing due to producers and smugglers from Syria and Lebanon.

While these claims have been categorically denied by the two suspect nations, there have been reports of Arab countries pressuring the likes of Syria to put an end to the cross-border drug crisis.

Authorities in the UAE and Saudi Arabia routinely conduct missions and thwart drug dealing and smuggling.

In one such instance, mid last year, Al Arabiya English learned that Dubai Customs made 936 drug seizures across its land, sea, air and passenger ports only in the first four months of 2022.

This included several attempts to smuggle narcotic substances, like tramadol tablets, Captagon, opium, heroin, hemp seeds, crystal meth, marijuana, and more.

Read more:

Saudi Arabia executes two defense employees on charges of treason

Four arrested in Riyadh after authorities seize over 3.4 mln amphetamine pills

UAE authorities seize over 60 kg of narcotics, over 14,000 tablets in 2023 so far

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Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi meets with CEOs of leading Norwegian companies

H.H. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, has met with a group of CEOs from leading Norwegian companies, as part of their participation in the UAE-Norway Investment Forum, held alongside his official visit to the Kingdom of Norway.

During the meeting, H.H. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed underscored the UAE leadership’s commitment to strengthening economic cooperation with its international partners.

He highlighted that investment in innovation and knowledge is a cornerstone for achieving sustainable development, noting that enhancing collaboration with Norwegian companies across key sectors will open new avenues for mutual economic growth between the two countries.

The UAE-Norway Investment Forum, taking place in Oslo, aimed to highlight available investment opportunities and strengthen trade relations between the UAE and Norway, fostering shared interests and supporting innovation and knowledge-based economic visions.

-wam

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At the Indonesia International Book Fair 2024, TRENDS inaugurates 10th global office, releases four books

As part of its Asian research tour, partnership with Aletihad News Center, and
primary sponsorship of the Indonesia International Book Fair 2024, TRENDS
Research & Advisory inaugurated its office in Jakarta, marking its 10th location
worldwide. It also released four books in Indonesian.
The inauguration event was attended by ambassadors of the UAE, Bahrain, and
Jordan to Indonesia, chairpersons of the UAE and Indonesian Publishers’
Associations, the Director of TRENDS’ Jakarta office, and a group of researchers
and academics.
Speaking at the event, Dr. Mohammed Abdullah Al-Ali, CEO of TRENDS
Research & Advisory, stated that TRENDS’ international offices—set to reach 15
by the end of 2024—aim to enhance the Center’s research efforts and deepen its
role in disseminating knowledge, thus serving as a global knowledge bridge.
He emphasized, “At TRENDS, we believe in the importance of cooperation
between think tanks and prioritize this endeavor. We believe the TRENDS office in
Jakarta will enhance the exchange of knowledge and ideas between think tanks in
Asia and the Middle East, opening new horizons for collaboration in various
fields.”

Four books in Indonesian
As part of the Jakarta office’s inaugural activities, four books were released in
Indonesian, including the 11th and 12th books of the Muslim Brotherhood
Encyclopedia and Global Trends in AI and Automation and the Future of
Competition between Man and Machine: An Analytical Forward-looking Vision.

Hostility to Arab states
The 11th book of the Muslim Brotherhood Encyclopedia, The Concept of the State
According to the Muslim Brotherhood, highlights its hostile stance toward Arab
states since its inception. The group views them as an obstacle to its ascent to
power. It opposed the modern principles upon which these states were built,
considering them incompatible with the group’s unique interpretation of Islam,
which it claimed to embody exclusively.

Exclusion of nonconformists
The 12th book, The Muslim Brotherhood: Rejection of Tolerance and Exclusion of
Nonconformists, examines the Muslim Brotherhood’s stance towards
nonconformists, individuals, and entities. The book reveals the group’s binary view
of the world, categorizing others as allies or adversaries. It ties these relationships
to the Brotherhood’s internal power struggles and self-serving interests.

Global Trends in AI
The third book, Global Trends in AI, explores significant developments in AI and
its impact on various aspects of life, including the economy, society, and
governance. It also offers a comprehensive analysis of technological advancements
in AI, its applications across sectors, the ethical and social challenges it presents,
and its future trajectory.

Automation

The fourth book, Automation and the Future of Competition between Man and
Machine: An Analytical Forward-looking Vision, addresses the growing challenges
faced by the human workforce in the face of widespread automation and AI
applications. The book concludes that while automation presents a significant
challenge to the labor market, it simultaneously creates new opportunities. It
emphasizes the importance of preparing for this shift through skills development,
continuous education, and adopting economic and social policies that support the
workforce.

Prominent pavilion and active presence
The TRENDS’ pavilion at the Indonesia International Book Fair has attracted
numerous visitors, including academic researchers and officials, such as the
ambassadors of the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan, and Turkey. Additionally,
chairpersons of Arab and Indonesian publishers’ associations, authors, publishers,
and students visited the pavilion. All were impressed with and praised TRENDS’ diverse, valuable publications. They also commended TRENDS’ active
international presence and ability to address global developments with rigorous
analytical research.
Dr. Mohammed Abdullah Al-Ali honored the esteemed guests, including
ambassadors of the UAE and Bahrain to Indonesia, Wedha Startesti Yudha,
Chairperson of the Indonesia International Book Fair Committee, Arys Hilman
Nugraha, Chairman of the Indonesian Publishers Association, and others,
presenting them with TRENDS’ publications and commemorative shields.
Additionally, he awarded TRENDS’ Research Medal to Ni Made Ayu Martini
Indonesian Deputy Minister of Marketing, Tourism and Creative Economy
It is worth noting that during its current Asian research tour, TRENDS announced
the launch of the TRENDS Research Medal, awarded to individuals who make
significant contributions to the development of scientific research and promote collaboration with TRENDS in strengthening a culture of research across various fields.

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US determined to prevent full-scale war in Middle East, Joe Biden tells UNGA79

US President Joe Biden highlighted the US Administration’s determination to prevent a wider war that engulfs the entire Middle East region, noting that a diplomatic solution “remains the only path to lasting security to allow the residents from both countries to return to their homes on the border safely”.

In remarks he made today before the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA79), the US President said, “Full-scale war is not in anyone’s interest,” adding that a diplomatic solution is still possible.

He also touched on “the rise of violence against innocent Palestinians on the West Bank”, and the need to “set the conditions for a better future”, which he said featured “a two-state solution, where the world — where Israel enjoys security and peace and full recognition and normalised relations with all its neighbours, where Palestinians live in security, dignity, and self-determination in a state of their own”.

President Biden underscored the ceasefire and hostage deal put forth by Qatar and Egypt, which the UN Security Council endorsed. He said, “Now is the time for the parties to finalise its terms, bring the hostages home,” adding that this would help ease the suffering in Gaza, and end the war.

-WAM

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