As part of Dubai Customs continual keenness on protecting the community and thwarting smuggling rackets with attempts of infiltrating prohibited and restricted goods to the local use, the Airport Operations Department at Dubai Customs has achieved 1834 seizures at Dubai Intl Airport in 2012. The contrabands included several types of items – these types were both prohibited and restricted items caught in the possession of passengers arrival at airports. In comparison to 2012, the restricted and prohibited items in 2011 were higher to report 2165 seizures.
Mr Ali AL-Maghawi, Director of Airport Operations Department at Dubai Customs revealed that the percentage of seizures has been trickled down in 2012 at 15% comparable to 2011, these improved statistics stand to reflect good reputation of Dubai Customs’ image worldwide in term of interdicting almost smugglers’ attempts and refrain them from infiltrating such prohibited items into the country, adding to that the awareness campaigns as led by Dubai Customs through the audio-visual, browse and network media have influentially educated passengers about classification of these items and restriction of their entry into the country and spread awareness of their health, economy and social potential risks.
Mr AL-Maghawi explained that the contrabands of the smugglers were different types items included drugs, sorcery and witchery items, fake goods, counterfeited banknotes & credit cards, ancient & antiques, products endangered animals and plants, fake medicines, pornographies, defaulted documents, jewelleries, silver, diamonds, gold, precious stones and white weapons. The halted smugglers were from different nationalities, e.g. 1010 smugglers were from Asia, 277 from African, 242 from Europe, 229 from north America, 62 from Australia and New-Zealand and 14 from Latin America. AL-Maghawi revealed.
AL-Maghawi highlighted that the male passengers were reported to reach at 1670 smugglers and the female were 164 ladies and girls. The average ages of the smugglers who attempted to use Dubai Intl Airport in 2012, AL-Maghawi said they were 197 females and males between 15 and 25yrs old, meanwhile, 616 were between 26 and 35yrs old, 556 were between 36 and 45yrs old, 330 were between 46 and 55yrs old, 130 were between 56 and 65yrs old and 23 smugglers were above 65yrs.
the Director of Airport Operations Department at Dubai Customs revealed that the smuggling passengers used different methods of smuggling with intention to fool Customs officials, fashions such as outwear and underwear clothes, guts, luggage, handbags, pockets, parcels, gloves, wallets, cartons, cigarettes packages, mobiles, etc.
Mr AL-Maghawi emphasized that the vigilance of the Customs inspectors was always at reach of these conspiracies and managed to successfully frustrate their illegal attempts, ascertained that the Customs inspectors enjoy high vigilance and sense of security in thwarting smuggling rackets, our Customs inspectors join training courses programs specialized in ways of inspection, identification of narcotics and restricted goods list categories, possible ways of smuggling, besides, the inspection teams provided with latest advanced inspection and examination technics, reiterating that Dubai Customs is always seeking to achieve its vision of being the leading Customs administration in the world supporting legitimate trade.