Dubai: Inspectors from Dubai Customs were able to thwart the smuggling of 36.76kg of marijuana at Dubai International Airport, hidden in two bags that belonged to an African passenger.
According to a press release sent by Dubai Customs on Wednesday, the suspicion of inspection officers was raised after the two bags showed varying densities during the scanning procedure. The bags were then manually searched in the presence of the African passenger.
Black plastic bags that contained foodstuff and marijuana were discovered. The first bag contained 16.86kg of marijuana and the second had 19.9kg, for a total of 36.76kg. The suspect was handed over to the relevant authorities for further investigation and legal procedures.
Protecting society
Ibrahim Kamali, director of Passenger Operations Department, said; “We are proud of doing our national duty to secure the borders and protect the society from the hazards of these illegal contrabands. Dubai Customs’ inspection officers are the first line of defence to secure the borders against the smuggling of prohibited and hazardous shipments.”
He pointed out that smugglers sometimes resort to strange tricks, such as hiding prohibited items in foodstuffs, especially those with strong smells like spices, and dried fish, and even body packing.
“Our inspectors joined intensive training workshops and courses to hone their skills in body language and methods of revealing the various concealment and camouflage. These workshops are regularly updated to keep up with the latest trends in the field. Modern technologies, devices and equipment aid the process,” Kamali added.
