Abu Dhabi: A total of 1,041kg of narcotics worth Dh1 billion have been seized in Abu Dhabi in the past months, Abu Dhabi Police announced on Friday.
Making the announcement on its social media accounts, the Abu Dhabi Police said that as many as 22 members of international drug trafficking gangs of different nationalities have been arrested after being found involved in the trafficking of the narcotics, including dissolved crystal meth. Eight of those arrested were also found to be engaged in money laundering operations resulting from illicit drug trafficking.
The capital police noted that the Dh1 billion drug seizure operations were made in the last quarter of 2020, as part of a series of cases closely followed by the Anti-Narcotics Directorate in the Criminal Security Sector in Abu Dhabi Police.
As soon as the police received a tip-off, security plans were developed to bust the network and seize all quantities of narcotic substances. It was also found that there are major partners for the traffickers in the country and instructions were issued to them from abroad.
Colonel Taher Gharib Al Dhaheri, Director of the Anti-Narcotics Directorate, said that the security plans revealed the existence of several gangs being managed from outside the country and were practicing their activities in several emirates. Each gang had a specific role in smuggling and promoting the drugs.
Al Dhaheri added that one of the gangs used a new tactic of smuggling to bring drugs into the country. They used dissolved crystal meth, believing that they could trick the capital police, who are well-trained and fully alert, something which helped them bust the traffickers and seize large quantities of drugs.
He noted that extensive investigations also revealed that there were some members of these gangs are managing the funds resulting from selling drugs and laundering them using illegal methods. They were immediately arrested and referred to competent authorities.
