Mr. Omar Al Muhairi, Senior Manager of Air Cargo Operations at Dubai Customs said the inspector at Dubai Cargo Village suspected a parcel which contained dry and rubbery stamps that turned out to be fake upon inspection and checkup. The stamps belonged to the official authorities in Britain where the parcel was heading to as the final destination in order to be used in illegal transactions including illegal residence and forging documents that help in smuggling narcotics.
Mr. Al Muhairi stated that Dubai Cargo Village Inspection Center passed the information about the parcel, which contained 24 pieces of fake stamps, to the Customs Intelligence Department at Dubai Customs who in their turn delivered them to the British security authorities.
Mr. Abdulla Salem Al Shaer, Director of Customs Intelligence Department at Dubai Customs clarified that upon discovering the parcel, Dubai Customs gathered and connected the available information and data and analyzed them scientifically and meticulously based on the risk management process.
He added that the Department coordinated efforts with the British Customs Liaison Officer in the UAE to transfer the cargo through the controlled handover process. A British police station took the case from there and arrested the offender who was expecting the arrival of the contraband. He was also involved in a drug dealing business as a haul of narcotic cannabis plant, scales and bag used by drug dealers were found at his home.
Al Shaer maintained that since its inception in 2009, Customs Intelligence Department sought to establish a network of internal and external relations and build communication channels being the official body responsible for passing through information and reporting cases internally and externally. He highlighted as well Dubai Customs’ keenness to exchange information and expertise in the different fields related to the nature of the security and customs business with the different authorities.
Dubai Customs received a thank you note from the regional manager of the Liaison and Risk Network in the British Embassy in Dubai to express deep recognition and appreciation to Dubai Customs inspectors for their great efforts in uncovering the fake stamps which led to the apprehension of the drug dealer in the UK.
Combating international crime is considered a top priority at Dubai Customs in order to reinforce the UAE’s status on the international security level. Therefore, Dubai Customs is lean and mean when it comes to employing its resources and efforts for the purpose of maintaining smooth chain supply worldwide.