Live apes in bags, blood ampules for sorcery, pills in a tank - how Dubai Customs finds smuggled items

Live white apes in a suitcase, anaesthetised falcons wrapped in white cloth, dead crocodiles stuffed into a bag, ampules of blood and cotton rolls used in sorcery and witchcraft, millions of pills of the stimulant captagon hidden in a fuel tank of a boat shipment – these are a few of the favourite things that smugglers have tried bringing into the UAE but were stopped in their tracks by Dubai Customs over the years, thanks to its innovative approach to work.

Last year alone, Dubai Customs achieved 44 innovations to raise the total number of innovations between 2012 and 2019 to 205 breakthroughs. Because of this, the oldest government department in Dubai has bagged 110 awards including 94 global awards and 16 local honours.

Dubai Customs received 17 notable awards including the Innovation Platinum Award, with a 6-star rating from EFQM Global Excellence Award scoring 700 points, the highest among all participating organisations. With this exceptional achievement Dubai Customs has become the first customs organisation in the world to win this reputable global award.

“We have worked hard to turn innovation into a daily practice at Dubai Customs following the wise vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai,” said Ahmed Mahboob Musabih, Director General of Dubai Customs.

According to Dubai Customs officials, what has helped in keeping this lead is constant upgradation of skills. The focus in the coming months will be on Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications. New uses and applications of AI are developed every day, to fulfil the requirements of the UAE Centennial 2071.

Dubai Customs signed a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Economy and launched together a smart portal called “Mind Gate”. The portal brings together all innovators, inventors and thinkers to one place to serve the national strategic plans and vision.

Hussain Al Fardan, Senior Manager of Innovation Center in Dubai Customs, said, “Last year was very eventful and distinctive. We received more than 37,000 ideas through our different communication channels from our employees, clients and the society at large. Almost 56 per cent of these ideas were meaningful and practical,” he said.

Dubai Customs makes it a point to study all the ideas and suggestions it receives, and puts to test the good ones. It arranged around 50 visits and meetings with other departments to exchange knowledge and experience with others in the recent past.

In addition, Dubai Customs won 13 Ideas UK and Ideas America awards in different fields in 2019. Chief among them was the “International Innovation Leader Shield” from Ideas UK which went to the Director General of Dubai Customs, Ahmed Mahboob Musabih who also won the Innovation Leader Certificate from Ideas America.”

This year, Dubai Customs is at the forefront of the EXPO 2020 which involves sophisticated logistics. It has taken many steps to ensure easy traffic of exhibitors’ goods during the much-awaited event.