Numerous drug rings busted in UAE

Gulf News -- Federal anti-narcotic authorities have confiscated roughly eight million illicit Captagon pills in a string of high-profile drug busts this year, the Ministry of Interior said on Monday.

Operations were carried out with cooperation of anti-drug units from neighbouring Gulf countries, nabbing drug traffickers and charging them with criminal offences like possessing and smuggling to dangerous and addictive drugs into the UAE.

The efforts by Federal Anti-Narcotics Department has been consistent and meant to protect vulnerable youth from drug addiction.

In cooperation with Jordanian counterparts in March, federal officers smashed a drug-peddling bid by two GCC nationals resulting in the confiscation of 150,000 Captagon pills in Abu Dhabi.

A week afterward, the federal department in cooperation with the Anti-Narcotics Directorate of Abu Dhabi Police seized 424,200 banned drug pills from a suspect who had hidden them in a residential apartment in Abu Dhabi, the ministry said.

In another undercover sting operation, the federal officers with the cooperation Saudi Arabia’s Anti-Narcotics Directorate, confiscated 2.12 million Captagon pills which were hidden in a 4X4 vehicle in Umm Al Quwain.

Some suspects attempted to flee to Saudi Arabia, while another tried to exit abroad through a flight from Sharjah International Airport but they were arrested.

A three-month drug probe smashed another drug trafficking ring in Ras Al Khaimah, recovering 4.2 million banned Captagon pills, which were hidden in farm seeds. The suspects were charged with smuggling drugs into the country.

Acting on a tip off in a separate operation in May, Federal Anti-Narcotics Department arrested five accused belonging to GCC and Asian countries in Dubai and seized about 353,000 Captagon pills from their possession.

In May, two persons from GCC countries were arrested in an undercover operation.

After investigation, it was revealed that the two men staying in an Abu Dhabi hotel had hidden 150,000 Captagon pills in their vehicle in the hotel parking. Officers also seized Dh186,000 cash from them.

In mid August, 777,250 Captagon pills were seized when a suspect tried to smuggle them into the country through one of its ports.

The suspect had hidden the drugs in the false ceiling of a wooden ship entering UAE waters from another country.

Investigators said the accused tried to deliver the consignment to an Arab national living in Sharjah.

Colonel Saeed Al Suwaidi, Director General of Federal Anti-Narcotics at the Ministry of interior, appreciated the Saudi and Jordanian authorities for their cooperation in nabbing the drug traffickers.

He also lauded the efforts of anti-narcotics departments of Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Umm Al Quwain and Ras Al Khaimah for seizing huge quantity of banned drugs.