Ajman: Five Arab men were arrested and one remains on the run abroad for smuggling 4.5 million Captagon pills worth around Dh200 million into the UAE. The pills were seized in a warehouse in Al Jurf area of Ajman, the Ajman Police chief revealed in a press conference yesterday [on Wednesday]
The contraband pills were hidden in rolls of sewing spool rolls, the official said.
The drug bust was a collaborative effort between Ajman Police, Dubai Police and Sharjah Police.
This is the biggest seizure of Captagon ever seen in Ajman and it carries the title “textile dope”, Brigadier Shaikh Sultan Bin Abdullah Al Nuaimi, Commander-in-Chief of Ajman Police, said.
The pills were wrapped inside plastic and the plastic stashed inside the spool.
“The suspects were using a new technique we have never seen before in drug smuggling operations in the UAE.”
Some spools were empty and others were used to hide the pills.
“It would be very hard for a customs inspector to think that something was suspicious about the rolls as they looked normal,” said Brigadier Al Nuaimi.
The drugs came into the UAE from a neighbouring country through a port, and one of the suspects then transported the shipment to a warehouse in Ajman.
Ajman Police, on April 1, received a tip-off from Dubai Police that five people were in possession of a large amount of drugs and that they were keeping it in Ajman.
On April 5, a team from Ajman Police and Dubai Police ambushed the five suspects — two in an apartment in Ajman, who then led the police teams to the other three. They also told the police about the location of the warehouse in Ajman.
“The expertise of the anti-narcotics department team was what uncovered how the pills were hidden,” he said.
One of the suspects had been deported from the UAE and he forged his travel documents to re-enter the country.
“Now, we have the iris eye scans which prevent criminals from remaining undetected if they re-enter the country,” said Brig Al Nuaimi.
The suspects were transferred to the public prosecution after being charged with possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking and export.
Brigadier Al Nuaimi said co-operation between the various police departments in the UAE played a significant role in maintaining security and helping arrest suspects who pose a danger to the safety and security of society.
“We have aborted many plans of drug dealers to promote drugs in the UAE and many drug dealers who target young boys were arrested.”
The anti-narcotics departments in the UAE is working hard to ensure the safety of the society and arresting drug dealers before they are able to affect the younger generation who are their main target.
Ajman Police assured the public that their efforts to maintain security and safety in society will always be ongoing.
