Sniffer dogs help Dubai Customs uncover massive drugs haul: 5.715 million Captagon stuffed in food container

Dubai" A massive haul of illegal drugs — 5.715 million Captagon pills — was seized by authorities here, The Dubai Customs announced on Saturday.

According to Customs, the pills were hidden in a foodstuff container sent to the emirate from an unnamed Arab country at the Jebel Ali and Tecom Customs Centre.

The container was scanned and — with the help of the Customs' K-9 Dog unit — the illegal Captagon pills were seized.

Commenting on the seizure, Dubai Customs Director-General Ahmad Mahboob Musabih noted that all customs departments are working together to combat the illegal trade and smuggling of narcotics.

"We are vigilant and well prepared to all attempts of bringing these illegal contrabands into the UAE through Dubai entry points," he emphasised.

Captagon (generic name: fenethylline) was initially produced in the 1960s as a treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) but was later banned in the 1980s due to its highly addictive nature.

While commercial manufacturing of the drug has ceased, illegal manufacturing practices continue, combining several highly addictive stimulants that compound the destructive effects of Captagon's amphetamine and theophylline co-drug combination.

This latest bust by Dubai Customs raises the number of Captagon pills seized to 10.715 million tablets in a four-month period.