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Trio held with largest opium haul in decade

The Dubai Police have busted a gang of two Asians and an African allegedly involved in drug trafficking and seized 51kg of opium worth nearly Dh2.5 million from them. This is the single largest haul in a decade, according to the Ministry of Interior’s records.

Major-General Abdul Jalil Mahdi, Director of the General Department of Anti-Narcotics of the Dubai Police, announced this in the presence of Deputy Director of the department Colonel Khaled Saleh Al Kuwari here on Monday.

The police came to know that an Asian, identified as M.T, and an African suspect, identified as M.P, were looking for a buyer for a large quantity of opium and that they were moving around a shopping mall in Al Mamzar area.

The police also learnt that the suspects were seeking Dh2.5 million for the opium. The market value of a kilogram of opium is around $12,000 (Dh43,800).

Further inquiries showed that M.T was aged 39 years and a degree holder though he worked as a labourer and M.P was 43 and a sailor. An undercover agent established contact with them who agreed to meet the customer at the shopping mall around 10.45pm on March 23.

That day, the police spotted the duo coming out of a café. M.T walked up to the decoy customer’s car and talked about money. Once they agreed on the price, M.P. took a bag from a car, walked to the buyer’s car and kept it in the trunk.

“The buyer noticed that the quantity was less than agreed on. M.T then went back to their car and brought another bag. When the duo received the money from the customer, an ambush team closed in on them. On sensing that they were trapped, the suspects tried to throw the money inside the car and run away but the cops arrested them,” Maj-Gen Jalil Mahdi said.

During interrogation, they confessed that they possessed 51kg of opium in total. M.T said the opium belonged to him and that M.P got the consignment from a third suspect who worked in a boat in Sharjah. After coordinating with the Sharjah Police, anti-narcotic officers raided the boat and arrested the 41-year-old Asian suspect, who was the boat captain.

On being interrogated, he said that he met M.T in their native country and the latter asked him to transport some bags, which he said contained medicines not allowed into the UAE. M.T told him that four persons would come to the boat and take the bags. The first suspect also warned him against opening the bags and that his role was limited to delivery only.

The three have been referred to the Dubai Public Prosecution on the charges of trafficking in narcotic and psychotropic substances.

Maj-Gen Jalil Mahdi said, “Opium is used in manufacturing heroin and it contains more than 35 chemical compounds such as morphine and codeine. Abusers of opium and its derivatives may experience symptoms such as desire to sleep, relaxation of the eyelids, the lack of movement, body itching and yellow face, excessive sweating, soreness in the eyes, nausea, slow movement and difficulty in breathing. They may also suffer lower heart rate and cirrhosis of the liver that could lead to death in some cases.”

news@khaleejtimes.com