Dubai: Dubai Police confiscated around 41,000 prohibited items that travellers carried in their baggage last year, an official said on Wednesday.
With the numbers of travellers increasing at Dubai International Airport, officials are urging people to arrive at the airport early to avoid delays and ease the movement of other travellers.
Brigadier Mohammad Ahmad Bin Dylan, deputy director of Airports Security Department in Dubai Police, said that prohibited items like liquids, sharp tools, lighters, needles, scissors and others will only disturb the traffic movement in the busiest airport in the world.
“Travellers should be aware of what to carry with them in their checked baggage or handbags in order not to cause delay in queues or onboarding. Last year, around 41,000 prohibited items were seized in July and August,” said Brig Bin Dylan at a press conference to launch an awareness campaign.
He said that travellers should cooperate with airport authorities to ensure speedy procedures to catch their flights as Dubai Airport recorded 89.6 million travellers last year.
“Every month there are 10 million travellers at Dubai Airports. In vacation season the numbers even become bigger. If there is a prohibited item in the baggage then we summoned the traveller to open the bag and it takes time.”
On Wednesday, the police launched the campaign titled ‘Let your travel be fun’ to raise awareness among travellers in cooperation with Pakistani, Indian, Philippines and Bangladeshi consulates in Dubai.
“We choose those nationalities as the majority of travellers are from them. We will have posters and flyers to distribute even in labour accommodations as many workers are not familiar with travel procedures and what is prohibited to carry with them on travelling,” Brig bin Dylan added.
Meanwhile, Lt Colonel Fahad Al Zarouni, diplomacy and consulates affairs officer at Dubai Police, said that about 2.9 million Indian travellers visited Dubai in 2018, along with 806,144 Pakistani visitors and 762,052 Bangladeshi visitors.
“In Dubai there are 1.9 million Indian residents, 700,052 Pakistani residents and 233,083 Bangladeshi residents. We coordinate with their consulates to deliver our message to their people through their channels,” said Lt Col Al Zarouni.
Banned items
- All kinds of narcotic drugs, including hashish, cocaine, heroin, poppy seeds and hallucination pills.
- Goods intended to be imported from boycotted countries.
- Goods from Israeli origin or bearing Israeli trademarks or logos.
- Crude ivory and rhinoceros horn.
- Gambling tools and machineries.
- Three layers fishing nets.
- Original engravings, prints, lithographs, sculpture and statues in any material.
- Used, reconditioned and inlaid tyres.
- Radiation polluted substances.
- Printed publications, oil paintings, photographs, pictures, cards, books, magazines, stone sculptures and mannequins which contradict Islamic teachings, decencies, or deliberately implying immorality or turmoil.
- Any other goods, the importation of which is prohibited under the authority of UAE customs laws or any other laws in the country.
- Forged and duplicate currency.
- Cooked and homemade foods.
