Three arrested in major drug haul

The General Department of Anti-Narcotics of the Dubai Police have arrested three alleged international drug traffickers, all Emiratis, in an operation named Desert Fox.

Major-General Abdul Jalil Mahdi, Director of the General Department of Anti-Narcotics of the Dubai Police, said the operation was executed in cooperation with the early intervention teams of Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah Police that led to the arrest of the gang and seizure of large quantities of hashish.

Al Mahdi said the police received information that the first suspect, identified as H.S.H., will hand over large quantities of drugs to somebody in a desert area in Al Faqa, close to Al Ain city, on September 5. The police officials kept surveillance on the suspect who went to the desert and parked his car near a tree and started to take out large quantities of drugs, which he hid it in a bag and buried in sand. The police found that he left a bag which also contained boxes, which smelled of hashish.

Other police teams identified the suspect while he was passing an inspection point on the main road where he threw a bag near a tree. After that, he met somebody and left the place. A few hours later, somebody picked the bag and took it to Al Ain city.

The police decided to arrest the suspect red-handed, monitored the place where he hid the drug day and night.

When the suspect reached the place, early intervention team of the Dubai Police chased and arrested him after surrounding him from all sides.

Depending on the information received from H.S.H., a second suspect identified as F.J., was arrested from Sharjah in coordination with the Sharjah Police. The police also found a gun in his possession. F.J. confessed that he is supplying drugs to the first suspect, adding that he delivered 25kg of hashish to H. S. H. a few days back. He also confessed that he is coordinating with another suspect who lives in Pakistan.

A third suspect, S. A. S., was arrested later in cooperation with the Abu Dhabi Police and 1kg of hashish was seized from his car, which he said was bought from the first suspect one day before his arrest.

Details of suspects

Maj-Gen Abdul Jalil Mahdi said that the first suspect, who is in his fifties, is one of the most dangerous international drug traffickers with a criminal record. He lives in Al Ain and has a cattle farm near Al Faqa, which he uses to cover his criminal activities. The suspect was arrested in Saudi Arabia earlier and was sentenced to 20 years in jail for smuggling drugs to the country. The second suspect, a businessman in his forties, is living in Sharjah, he said, adding that the man was earlier was arrested in Oman and was sentenced in absentia to 10 years in jail. He was also arrested in Lebanon for the same crime, and was sentenced to five-year jail term. He was extradited by the UAE as per agreements between the two countries as the suspect was wanted in a number of criminal cases.

The third suspect in his thirties is working for a government department and is living in Abu Dhabi, Maj-Gen Al Mahdi said, noting that the police had learnt that he was buying drugs from the first suspect.

H.S.H. and F.J. were referred to the Public Prosecution on charges of drug possession and drug smuggling while the third suspect was charged with drug possession, promotion and consumption.

Mahdi praised the coordination between the police teams which foiled the attempt of the gang.

Colonel Ali Al Khayal, Director of the Anti-Narcotics Unit of the Sharjah Police, expressed his satisfaction over the cooperation between the Sharjah and Dubai police in the operation. He also praised efforts of Lt-Gen Dhahi Khalfan Tamim, Commander-in-Chief of the Dubai Police on fighting drugs.

Colonel Ibrahim Al Zaabi, Director of the Anti-Narcotics Department of the Abu Dhabi Police, attributed the success of the operation to cooperation, planning and exchanging information between government officials.

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