UAE | Crime
Sharjah Police arrest 18 expatriates for smuggling in and selling 202kg of drugs
The UAE will not allow itself to become a transit point for drug smugglers, said Colonel Abdullah Mubarak Al Dukhan, Deputy Director of Sharjah Police, on Tuesday.
- By Sunita Menon, Staff Reporter
- Published: 14:54 August 12, 2008
Sharjah: The UAE will not allow itself to become a transit point for drug smugglers, said Colonel Abdullah Mubarak Al Dukhan, Deputy Director of Sharjah Police, on Tuesday.
Providing details on the successful completion of "Operation 888" under which a gang of 19 Afghans was busted and 202kg of heroin - the largest consignment in the region - was seized, Al Dukhan said that search teams were formed after the police received concrete information on the crime.
He said: "We received information that some Afghans who lived in Sharjah had huge quantity of heroin and had rented warehouses. They were making arrangements to ship it outside the country. Raids were conducted after monitoring their activities. Two suspects M.A. and D.K. were arrested. We searched their vehicle and found some US dollars and heroin samples. Both the suspects were then taken to two apartments located in Al Naba'a. The apartments were registered under M.A."
"White powder weighing 202kg was stored in six suitcases in one of the apartments. Tests at the forensic laboratory revealed that the white powder was heroin mixed with other substances so as to increase its potency and sell it in the market at a higher price. We also seized plastic bags used to store the drugs and weighing scales," added Al Dukhan.
He said that trucks with modified fuel tanks used for smuggling were parked at an industrial area. "The police team raided the truck as it was being loaded. We arrested two more suspects. A similar raid was also conducted in industrial area 4, where another truck was found parked outside a warehouse and suspects were arrested. Our team also came across a warehouse that was being rented by a foodstuff company. Instead of foodstuff we came across modified fuel tanks in which drugs were stored in secret compartments. Interestingly these fuel tanks were designed in such a manner that it can also store diesel," said Al Dukhan.
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