Woman arrested with 13kg of cocaine at airport

Abu Dhabi: An African woman attempting to smuggle 13 kilograms of cocaine was arrested at Abu Dhabi Airport after police found the drugs hidden inside weightlifting dumbbells and buttons of clothes.

A statement issued by the Abu Dhabi Police on Saturday said the woman, M.B., 26, was travelling from a country in Latin America to an Asian country, and had stopped by Abu Dhabi Airport on transit.

Colonel Rashid Mohammad Bu Rasheed, Director of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) at Abu Dhabi Police, said that M.B. appeared anxious and flustered, prompting authorities at the airport to suspect her and inspect her luggage.

Upon inspection, authorities found plenty of cocaine that was carefully hidden in a secret compartment in her luggage. Police said M.B. confessed to attempting to smuggle the drugs for $35,000 (Dh128,555), and that it was not her first time to smuggle drugs for money. She was then escorted to other authorities to process the case.

Bu Rasheed noted that Abu Dhabi Police officers are well trained to identify suspicious travellers who may be smuggling any illegal items. He urged residents to report any suspicious activity to the police in order to help foil any drug dealers or drug smugglers.