Dubai: Dubai Police arrested 77 suspects from different nationalities involved in smuggling and trafficking 1.5 million capsules of varies kinds of narcotics worth over Dh15 million.
This operation started from the beginning of the year and was entirely controlled recently with a joint collaboration with the combating narcotics departments from the Interior Ministry and Sharjah Police.
According to Major General Abdul Jaleel Mehdi, Director of the general department of anti-narcotics at Dubai Police, these narcotics were smuggled in from different Asian, Arab and Western countries and were intended for trafficking in neighbouring countries.
The strategic location of UAE among countries manufacturing narcotics and countries with a demand for these substances makes it an essential transit point for criminals, he said while adding that minute quantities were trafficked within the country.
Operations
The operations were mainly conducted in Dubai but certain amounts and some suspects were arrested in other emirates such as Sharjah and Ajman, said a police source while adding that the suspects were mainly Asians and some Arabs, including UAE nationals.
The source said that many of the suspects had a criminal record in other countries for smuggling, trafficking and using narcotics.
Around 400,000 of the seized capsules were Captagon, which is most common in Arab countries including the Gulf. The remaining capsules were various kinds of stimulants.
The anti-narcotics department has recorded a 21 per cent increase in drug cases during the first nine months of this year compared to the same period last year and arrested 852 suspects in connection with various cases.
The department seized 203kg of drugs during the last nine months while recorded 544 cases and arrested 852 suspects during this period, whereas 448 cases were recorded, 623 suspects arrested and 148kg of drugs seized in the same period last year. Forty seven of the cases this year were related to stimulants.
Recently the chief of Dubai Police Lieutenant General Dahi Khalfan Tamim, announced the permanent cancellation of the driving licence of drug traffickers and dealers convicted in Dubai.
