52kg of heroin caught in 'Eagle's Eye

Dubai - In an operation named Eagle's Eye, the General Department of Anti-Narcotics of the Dubai Police have arrested four Pakistani nationals allegedly for trafficking 52kg of heroin worth Dh104 million in retail price.

Major-General Abdul Jalil Mahdi, Director of the department, said the drug was smuggled in orange cartons from Pakistan. The operation was carried out this month after the department received information about the case about one year ago.

The police are coordinating with the international security authorities to extradite two more suspects, including a Pakistani woman who is allegedly the mastermind of the crime.

The police seized the contraband-filled orange cartons near the Fruits and Vegetable Market in Al Aweer area on April 5 while the suspects were loading it into a pick-up van.

The police received information about the presence of a Pakistani suspect, who was identified earlier, in the area. Keeping surveillance on the person, the police managed to detect the first thread of the smuggling process and details about other suspects. The gang planned to smuggle the drugs out to an African country after keeping it in Dubai for a while, Abdul Jalil Mahdi said.

On April 5, the police team went to Al Aweer area at 6.30am while the suspects were there. One suspect was already there while two others reached in a car. The police found the fourth suspect, P.M.C.N., standing near a shop, waiting for a pick-up that was supposed to transport the goods from a container to a warehouse storage. Before the labourers completed loading the orange cartons to the vehicle, the police managed to arrest them all. On further search, the police found five pick-up vehicles loaded with orange boxes and took it to the Dubai Police anti-narcotics unit. The police found 657 bags of heroin weighing 52kg in the first vehicle, but the rest of the trucks were not carrying any narcotics.

According to Abdul Jalil, the gang had classified the cartons in three groups. “Those covered with papers of orange color and those filled in wooden boxes were filled with oranges only. The third section of cartons covered with red paper had the drug inside. A device used to weigh the drug, a plastic bag containing hand gloves and Dh4,100 were also seized from the suspect’s car.”

On interrogation, G.H.M.A, one of the suspects, said that he was aware of the presence of narcotics inside the boxes and he reached Dubai from Pakistan to receive the consignment, which was supposed to be delivered later to Nigeria as per the directions given by the woman mastermind. He also admitted that he had received money for the work and was assigned to distribute some money to his accomplices.

Another suspect, P.U.Q, said that he worked as a tailor in Pakistan and denied any connection with the operation. However, later he admitted that he met the woman suspect two years ago as she was a customer at his tailoring shop. He said he had no idea about the woman’s activities, but he acted as per her directives when she asked him to go to Dubai to receive and clear a shipment. He reached Dubai on March 28 on a visit visa.

The third suspect, identified as A.G., admitted that he was aware of the presence of narcotics inside the orange boxes as the first suspect asked his assistance to clear the drug inside the boxes.

The fourth suspect told the police that he knew that the cartons in the container had narcotic substances inside. He admitted that he had been in contact and coordination with person named ‘U’, who resides abroad and asked him to inspect the clearance and loading of the cartons.

Abdul Jalil said that the Dubai Police are coordinating Pakistani security authorities to extradite both the othersuspects including the woman.

amira@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai