Dubai Police foiled drug smuggling operation
Dubai Police seized hashish, opium, crystal meth and heroin in the operation
Dubai: A gang of 12 suspects were arrested with 194 kg of drugs hidden inside two dhows, an official in Dubai police said on Wednesday.
Major General Abdullah Khalifa Al Merri, Commander-In-Chief at Dubai police, said that the two international gangs were smuggling the drugs into the country by hiding it under the structure of the dhow.
"Dubai Police foiled a big international drug trafficking operation in Al Ras area at Dubai Creek harbour. Our teams who carried out the operation were monitoring the suspects since we received the information about their criminal activities," Maj Gen Al Merri said.
Dubai Police raided the dhows and seized 135kg of Hashish, 10 kg of Opium, 46 Kg of Crystal Meth and 3 Kg of Heroin.
Major-General Khalil Ebrahim Al Mansouri, Assistant Commander-in-Chief for Criminal Investigation Affairs, said the smugglers used different methods to hide drugs including modifying the structure of the first dhow in order to allocate it to drug trafficking.
"We found large quantities of drugs hidden in different places between the wood panels under the deck of the boat," Maj Gen Al Mansouri said.
Major General Al Mansouri explained that members of the control and investigation team managed to arrest one of the gang members, who had entered the country as a visitor.
Police said that the suspect real role is to receive drugs, store it and promoting it in the UAE.
"We found nine cylindrical plastic containers, containing large quantities of cannabis, crystal drugs and a scale, which confirms his criminal activity and his involvement in the trafficking and promoting drugs."
Meanwhile, Dubai police tipped-off about a second dhow in the Dubai Creek with sailors and large quantity of narcotic.
Colonel Khalid Bin Moyazeh, deputy director of the Anti-Narcotic Department, said that police arrested 12 Asian from the two gangs.
"This operation was a severe and painful strike to all drug dealers. They were referred to concerned authority for legal action," Col Bin Moyazeh added.