Dubai Customs foiled a bid to smuggle more than half a million of the narcotic drug of tramadol in a new seizure of the drug being prohibited from circulation outside medical use.
The shipment while coming from an Asian country and heading to an African country was seized by Dubai Customs inspectors at Jebel Ali Port.
The seizure operation deemed to be a new success in confronting proliferation of the drug from which several countries across the region suffer by reason of the serious health effects arising out from using the drug without medical supervision.
Ahmed Abdullah Bin Lahj, Director of Jebel Ali Customs Centres Department explained that the smuggling attempt was made through a container consisting of 326 boxes of restricted medicines, but found later to be containing 504 thounds tablets of the prohibited drug of tramadol.
“The container was shipped on the basis of being a shipment of medicines as whole according to the information contained in the documents”, he said.
“Dubai Customs inspectors, however, suspected the shipment and hence the container when x-rayed found to be containing the prohibited drug of tramadol”, he added.
Dubai Customs could foil smuggling operations of all prohibited substances by virtue of its inspectors` efficiency, advanced inspection techniques that it relies upon, thoroughly tracked information, cumulative experience at seizure level and inspectors` great efforts who underwent best levels of training and became fully qualified to better carry on their duties.
Bin Lahj underlined that the risk of the seized shipment goes beyond the existence of the prohibited drug, as the attempt to smuggle such shipment in a container means that the whole cargo will be subject to complete destruction making it in practice poisoned substances that may expose users to unlimited health risks.
Bin Lahj explained that medicines and medical drugs have special cargo procedures as part of the conditions specified by Health Authorities.
“Customs inspectors consistently examine shipments as part of a clear inspection operations methodology starting from validation of information contained in documents then having the shipment tracked upon arrival until using direct inspection procedures through Dubai Customs approved modern techniques”, he pointed out.
“Dubai Customs is the first defence line to protect our society`s security and economy and the health of its members. We will never remiss to place all our capabilities and efforts towards achieving such objective on which we are keen to thoroughly and effectively attain”, said Bin Lahj.