Dubai: Four suitcases of Captagon pills weighing 202kg were seized from a drug dealer arrested in Dubai on January 30, Dubai Police said on Wednesday.
The 37-year-old man from a Gulf country was arrested while he was on his way to the Dubai International Airport. The drugs were recovered from his villa in Ajman.
Brigadier Eid Mohammad Thani Hareb, Director of the Anti-Narcotics Department at Dubai Police, said the police had received reports that dealer was selling and promoting drugs in the UAE.
Dubai Police monitored the suspect for two weeks and found that he entered and left the UAE through different entry points.
“He thought that he would confuse us by changing his location all the time, but we eventually managed to find out that he was renting a villa in Ajman to store the drugs,” Brig Hareb said.
In a joint operation with Ajman Police, Dubai Police intercepted a taxi that the drug dealer was using to get to the airport and arrested him.
“He used to smuggle in the drugs and store them in the villa. He received his instructions from a main drug dealer living in his home country,” Brig Hareb said.
Dubai Police also found a few pills inside the suspect’s pocket. “We also found a digital balance and small plastic bags in the villa. He used to sort the pills and sell them,” Brig Hareb said.
A blood test showed that the suspect was under the influence of Captagon.
The suspect was charged with smuggling, possessing and promoting drugs. He was referred to the Dubai Public Prosecution for further action.
Captagon is the brand name for a synthetic stimulant called fenethylline that was formulated in the early 1960s. It was later banned worldwide, but is popular among people who use it recreationally to stay awake, or as a weight-loss aid. It can also cause death.
