Abu Dhabi: Around 2.75 million narcotic pills were confiscated during an an attempt to smuggle them through the Ghuwaifat port into Abu Dhabi last Thursday.
In coordination with the Dubai Police and Ghuwaifat Customs, Abu Dhabi Police caught a GCC national who is believed to have placed the drugs in secret compartments in his four-wheel-drive vehicle.
He is believed to have made skeletal modifications to the sides of the vehicle and the seats in order to hide the pills. Colonel Dr Rashid Borshid, Head of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), said that the pills cost about Dh104 million in the market.
Colonel Sultan Suwayeh Al Darmaki, Chief of the Anti-Drug Section at the CID, revealed that he had received information from reliable sources suggesting that somebody possessing a large amount of drugs would attempt to smuggle them to a nearby country. Immediate investigations and surveillance showed the suspect preparing to enter Ghuwaifat port. This caused him to be placed under monitoring that led to his arrest.
The Ghuwaifat port was informed before the suspect left his country for Abu Dhabi. Police revealed that the man, F.J.F., 27, also had alcohol in his vehicle and confessed to his crimes, adding that he was promised money by a man he met in his home country.
The man is currently being prosecuted.
This bust is considered a continuation of the series of successful events in which the Abu Dhabi Police managed to catch smugglers.
One of the most recent cases was the ‘Wooden Doors’ Operation that was directly followed up by Lieutenant General Shaikh Saif Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, in which four people possessing 4.5 million illegal pills were apprehended in October 2014.
Meanwhile, Col Borshid lauded the drug fighting team’s efforts and their coordination. He highlighted the Abu Dhabi Police’s intention to strengthen ties with departments responsible for port inspections through developing techniques to limit smuggling attempts of drugs and other illegal items.
The official also revealed that this large amount of narcotics can cause harm to many innocent individuals, especially the youth.
Col Borshid called on community members to report any suspicious activity and to constantly cooperate with the police to ensure their safety from crime and its consequences.
