Dubai: A team from Jebel Ali Customs Centre in cooperation with the Customs Intelligence Department thwarted an attempt to smuggle 73 kg of crystal meth coming from a neighbouring country.
The highly addictive illegal stimulant drug was concealed inside vehicle spare parts, Dubai Customs said in a press release on Tuesday.
Although the drug was hidden very skillfully, the inspectors’ alertness, vigilance and experience helped them uncover the illegal shipment, it said. “The smugglers thought they could trick inspection officers of Dubai Customs and evade the smart and sophisticated detection systems and procedures.”
How was it detected?
Dubai Customs said the Smart Risk Engine, developed in-house by Dubai Customs using the latest AI applications, recognizes the upcoming risky shipments and creates a profile for different expected risks.
The risk engine classified the spare parts shipment as “risky.”
“We work together with the Intelligence Department and based on the reports released by their risk engine we move to thwart any smuggling attempts in order to protect our society from the hazards of drugs,” said Yousef Al Hashimi, director of Jebel Ali Customs Centres Management.
“We have built a very advanced system to curb these illegal attempts, and this seizure reveals the level of professionalism and skills our staff have. We keep developing our competencies in the field in order to protect everyone from the hazards of illegitimate goods.”
Smart Scanning
He said the Smart Scanning System is able to scan 150 containers per hour without any human intervention.
“We have six scanning systems in Jebel Ali which means we can check 900 containers per hour, and we work in close cooperation with the General Department of Anti-Narcotics at Dubai Police who we heartily thank for their valuable efforts in supporting us.”
Shuaib Al Suwaidi, director of Customs Intelligence Department commented said: “We enhanced the security of our entry points with the most advanced systems to protect our society from any threats of these illegal items, and, at the same time, support legitimate trade as part of our vision in Dubai Customs. The Smart Risk Engine, which was developed in-house, plays an essential role in intercepting suspicious shipments based on data fed by different channels.”
He added that around 97 per cent of shipments are classified by the risk engine as non-hazardous and approved in less than two minutes.
What is crystal meth?
Crystal meth is Methamphetamine which is a highly addictive, illegal stimulant drug. It affects the central nervous system and has a long-lasting euphoric effect.
