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Dubai: Underwater drone can help foil smuggling bids

Drone can send live streaming to officers in the operation room.

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An underwater drone that can be used to thwart smuggling attempts was showcased Wednesday at a Dubai Customs workshop that was held as part of the UAE Innovates 2022 events hosted by Expo 2020 Dubai.

Senior Inspection officers Nawaf Saleh and Salim Ghaith explained that the drone can be made to navigate underwater and take high-resolution 3D pictures and videos in difficult to reach areas such as a ship's hull.

The drone, equipped with a 4K camera, can go down up to depths of 98 feet, and send live streaming to officers in the operation room who can then detect and intercept contraband.

Another topic discussed was about the differences between "Customs Dolphins" and "Customs Submarines", and how it can be sent to control and monitor vessels before entering the wharfage.

Dubai Customs also launched the smart electric vehicles initiative, which will be used for inspection purposes along Dubai Creek, Deira Wharfage and Al Hamriya Port.

Some of these vehicles have been customised to accommodate sniffing dogs (K9 Unit), and they can be used patrol the area to detect any illegal shipments along the wharf without causing any disturbance to visitors in tourist areas.