Dubai: Dubai Customs seized more than 100kg of illegal drugs — including a huge amount of marijuana concealed in a passenger’s bag — during the first quarter of 2018 using its smart inspection system.
Dubai Customs seized 119 kgs of narcotics during the first three months of the year, a significant increase compared to 3.8kg in the same period in 2018, an increase of 115.8kg.
Dubai Customs made the seizures 134 times in Dubai Airports to protect society and prevent drugs from entering the UAE using the latest and most advanced technologies and highly-skilled staff.
Ebrahim Al Kamali, director of passenger operations at Dubai Customs, said the biggest seizure using the smart inspection system was 25.5 kgs of marijuana concealed in a passenger’s bag.
The new system has thwarted a number of other seizures as well, including one seizure of 10 kgs of marijuana and another one of 5.4 kgs of marijuana. A total of 41 kgs of marijuana has been seized since the implementation of this new smart system last March.
Al Kamali pointed out that cooperation at a federal level is very important to maximise efficiency in protecting the UAE from the perils of drugs.
Al Kamali said the seizures were done in a way that did not disrupt passenger traffic in all the Dubai Airports.
“There are certain procedures that were taken in the three airport terminals that help towards a smoother flow and passenger traffic without compromising the security side,” he said.
On his part, Khalid Ahmad, Head of Terminal 1 operations said the Smart Inspection System has remarkably raised inspection performance which led to more seizures.