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Alleged Drug Peddler Held at Sharjah Airport

SHARJAH - Sharjah Police have arrested a 39-year-old Egyptian national for allegedly trying to smuggle in 236 grams of hashish into the country.

He had kept the drug in a bag of eatable salted seeds of pumpkin and sunflower, and was held as he was passing through the airport customs security.

Lt. Col Yousif Al Naqbi, head of the Criminal Investigation Department of Sharjah Police, said the man had been charged with drug trafficking and drug possession.

As the man was passing through the airport custom, officials got suspicious of him. Once his luggage arrived at the conveyer belt, it was searched following which a pack of eatable salted seed mixed with the hashish was recovered.

The suspect denied having anything to do with the pack, which he claimed, was given to him by someone while departing from his home country.

He claimed he was merely delivering it to a friend in UAE, another Egyptian national.

The Criminal Investigation Department together with the Anti-Narcotic Department of Sharjah Police then brought the friend for questioning.

The friend, however, denied any involvement in the case, which is now being referred to the Sharjah Public Prosecution. “The cooperation between the police and customs officials at airports and ports has helped a great deal in arresting a large number of drug traffickers during previous years,” Al Naqbi said.

afkarali@khaleejtimes.com

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