Dubai: Dubai Police busted three international drug gangs and seized 52Kg of heroin, cocaine and hashish in a sting operations that lasted months, an official said on Tuesday.
In an undercover operation, the Anti-Narcotic Department of Dubai Police arrested the drug dealers red handed in different areas of Dubai, said Major General Abdullah Al Merri, commander-in-chief of Dubai Police.
“Officers did an outstanding efforts to nab members of the three drug gangs and seized 52kg of drugs. Some operations lasted for several months. The suspects were targeting the public to spread their poison,” Maj Gen Al Merri said.
He did not specify how many suspects were arrested.
The drug dealers were from different nationalities and one gang was using shipping routes from Dubai in order to smuggle drugs to a large geographic region from South America to Asia and Africa.
Major General Khalil Ebrahim Al Mansouri, Assistant Commander-in-Chief for Criminal Investigation Affairs at Dubai Police, said they seized 13kg of cocaine in the first operation at Dubai port.
“They were dealing with drugs and distributed it in many countries of Asia, Africa and South America. They took advantage of Dubai sea routes to the world. We received information about a container in the port and some Arabic and Asian suspects trying to send it to an Arab country. We raided the container and arrested six suspects. They were trying to send it as oil paint shipment,” Maj Gen Al Mansouri said.
In a second operation, members of an Asian gang were arrested while trying to smuggle 14.4kg of heroin in a dhow. They were arrested in Al Ghusais and Dubai Marina areas.
Maj Gen Al Mansouri, said they arrested three suspects, including an Asian, African and a Gulf national inside a shopping mall in Dubai.
“It was a sting operation and the three were arrested while collecting money from clients. The ring leader is a Gulf national who smuggled 24.4kg of hashish from a neighbouring country in cooperation with an Asian drug dealer.
The suspects were referred to Dubai Public Prosecution to finish the investigation.
