Dubai/Abu Dhabi: Authorities have seized drugs in several operations, making a dent in the illicit drug supply across the country.

Two drug busts by Dubai Police resulted in five Asian men from different nationalities being arrested and a total of 1.5kg of heroin seized in the last two months.

Colonel Eid Thani Hareb, Director of the Anti-Narcotics Department at Dubai Police, said that two Asians were arrested in the first operation and three in the second. In the first operation, one man, A.A.M.H., 33, who worked as a sales representative, was caught by the Anti-narcotics police in Hor Al Anz, as soon as he received the money from an undercover police agent for selling him one kilogram of heroin.

The other man, R.B.S., 33, who worked as a sailor, was arrested in Sharjah, aboard the ship he worked on, with the help of Sharjah Police.

A.A.M.H. confessed that he got the drugs from R.B.S., who smuggled the drugs on orders based on calls between A.A.M.H., and two smugglers who reside out of the country.

In the second operation, Col Hareb said, two of the three suspects were arrested next to one of the hotels in Bur Dubai, in possession of half a kilo of heroin.

The third suspect, who was the leader of the gang, was later arrested at Sharjah airport as he was trying to flee the country.

Both cases have been transferred to the public prosecution.

In Abu Dhabi, meanwhile, The Ministry of Interior has foiled two consecutive bids to smuggle a total of 125,000 narcotic pills on-board a ship arriving at Sharjah Creek and the other at a UAE land border point.

Colonel Saeed Al Suwaidi, Director-General of the Anti-Narcotics Federal Directorate General at the ministry, said that the first bust was made after a tip-off revealed that a smuggling attempt was planned on a ship arriving in the country.

“The banned substances — 45,500 narcotic pills — were being smuggled by a crew member who was delivering them to a drug dealer,” said Col Al Suwaidi, adding that the Federal Anti-Narcotics unit and Sharjah Police successfully apprehended all those involved.

Col Al Suwaidi also noted that the second attempt was intercepted after police gathered intelligence on a gang of drug dealers involved in an attempt to smuggle 80,000 narcotic substances to the country through Dibba Al Hosn border in Sharjah. A joint effort involving the Federal Directorate General for Drug Control, Sharjah and Dubai Police forces and in cooperation with the General Department for Combating drugs and Psychotropic Substances in Oman, resulted in the arrest of suspects.

Colonel Ali Salim Al Khayal, Director of Anti-Narcotics Department at Sharjah Police, said that the cooperation and teamwork among drug control agencies in the country is key in keeping the smuggling and circulation of drugs under control.

—With inputs from WAM