Dubai Customs inspectors managed to foil a bid to smuggle 1.4 kg of Crystal narcotics that a passenger filled in small capsules and hid in his guts before arriving at Dubai International Airport.
As narrated by Mr. Ali Al Magahwi, Director of Airport Operations Department at Dubai Customs, details of the incident started when a Customs inspector who works at the Passenger Operations Department, who is well experienced in interpreting body language, noticed the nervous behavior of a passenger heading from an Asian country through Dubai International Airport while heading to the Inspection area at Dubai Int’l Airport Terminal (2).
Initially, nothing was found during the regular inspection process; however, the continuous frisky behavior of the passenger had led the inspector to search him through the Body Scan machine which detected murky substances in his guts.
When questioned about them, he confessed to swallowing 120 capsules which contain the Crystal narcotics. He also said that he was on his way to Terminal (3) to book a ticket and proceed to Indonesia to hand over the haul to some of his accomplices there.
During the investigations, the passenger started to have stomachaches and disposed 11 capsules weighing 103 grams of Crystal narcotics which contain Amphetamine, the drug used commonly by some people of Asian origins.
Inline with the mutual coordination and cooperation between Dubai Customs Airport Operation Department and the General Department at Dubai Police, the passenger and the seizure as well as the information he confessed were transferred to the Anti-Narcotics Office at the Airport. As for the passenger, he was admitted to Dubai hospital by the Police and remained under custody where he continued to dispose the remaining narcotics from his guts. Eventually, there were 113 capsules found making the total of the swallowed capsules 124 with a total weight of 1 kilo and 43 grams. Immediately, the necessary legal procedures were taken against the passenger.
Mr. Al Mugahwi shed light on Dubai Customs vigilance and awareness of such attempts which threaten and impact the individuals’ health, thinking abilities and productivity. He added that Dubai Customs is considered the first frontline to combat, and their ability to foil attempts of smuggling harmful narcotics and contrabands is due to the specialized courses Customs inspectors receive at the Department and the experience they gain from performing their daily responsibilities and also due to utilizing the most advanced check-up and inspection equipment and machines.
Mr. Al Mugahwi stated that Dubai Customs is keeping its word to the society by continuing to confront such illegal smuggling operations whether they were heading into the UAE or any other country through any of Dubai’s entries.