As part of the efforts being made by Dubai Customs to combat the phenomenon of drug smuggling worldwide and pursuant to its vision on supporting international legitimate trade, customs inspectors at Dubai Cargo village foiled a bid to bring into an European country a drugs shipment containing 2 Kilos of cannabis arriving from an African country.
The contents of the shipment were discovered at Dubai following exchange of information with two European capital cities in respect to the shipment.
The details of the case go back when a customs inspector at Dubai cargo Village suspected the contents of a postal parcel arriving from an African country destined to an European country via Dubai when a Courier clearing representative came accompanied with the shipment for the purposes of customs examination and finalizing the export processing o the European country in question
When the parcel was passed through the X-Ray equipments, density in some places has been noticed. This necessitated a manual inspection to be carried out for the shipment where two pieces wrapped with a sponge cover and other two plastic and carbon covers have been found. The inspector suspected to be narcotic substances, being wrapped in such a way with the intension of misleading.
Head customs inspection shift recalled Dubai Customs mobile scanning equipment to the Cargo Village. Which upon scanning nd examination has confirmed the suspected substance as to be true drugs?
Customs Detection Dogs have also been recalled to check the substances in question where the result was positive as well.
Within the framework of the consistent coordination with the Anti-Drug Department at Dubai Police Headquarters and the cooperative relations with European Country to which the shipment is destined, exchange of information has taken place in respect to the contents of the postal parcel.
The customs authorities at the European country in question has virtually seized the addressee and interrogated him. The security agencies there reported that such person has been involving in two previous cases on trading in heroin.
Mr. Mohammed Mater Al Mari, Executive Director of Cargo Operations at Dubai Customs said, “this case embodies a live model for the effective cooperation and coordination between Dubai Customs and the relevant authorities in the country from one hand and the other countries in the world on the other hand.”
“Cooperation in exchanging information in connection with such shipment was made as well with another European capital city to which the drugs shipment was destining, after leaving Dubai and before landing at its final destination where the owner was waiting,” Al Mari pointed out.
“International agreements concerning transport by transit and the Common Customs Law of the GCC States authorize Dubai customs to inspect transit goods particularly where suspects of specific goods are existing or Dubai Customs has information about prohibited goods,” he said.
Mr. Omer Al Mehairy, senior manger of Air Cargo at Dubai Customs affirmed that Dubai Customs vision focuses on supporting international legitimate trade and cooperation with different world countries, a move leaves a good impression upon World Trade and Customs Organizations and the International Police (Interpol).
“Customs inspectors higher competency and efficiency and the advanced technological equipment in use assist with achieving such vision in a manner enhancing confidence, which Dubai Customs enjoys worldwide.” Al Mehairy said.
Al Mehairy indicated that Dubai was selected before two years to host for the first time out side the Europe, the international conference on combating counterfeiting and piracy.