Abu Dhabi Police arrest three suspects with 2.5 million Captagon pills

Abu Dhabi: The Abu Dhabi Police has arrested three individuals for attempting to smuggle 2.5 million Captagon pills hidden in fruit cartons.

In a statement on Monday, the Police said that the men had hidden the pills in cartons marked as boxes od dried apricots. They had brought them into the UAE, and planned to smuggle some of them into a neighbouring country.

Brigadier General Taher Gharib Al Dhaheri, director of the Narcotics Directorate at the Abu Dhabi Police, said the operation to capture the suspecfts was successful because of the implementation of a tight security strategy that tracks suspicious movements, in cooperation with the authorities in various neighbouring nations.

The Abu Dhabi Police’s narcotics department found that the suspects wanted to sell the pills in the UAE, as well as in a neighbouring country. Al Dhaheri said the team used advanced strategies to thwart the suspects’ plans, as part of a comprehensive strategy to protect society from the scourge of drugs.

The official also urged community members to report any suspicious activities to the authorities.

Captagon is a psychostimulant containing phenethylline as the active ingredient. In its medicinal form, the pill was used to treat hyperactivity, narcolepsy, and depression. However, its production was suspended after experts discovered its highly addictive nature. Today, the pills are produced only for recreational purposes, and are widely abused, especially in the Arab World.