Dubai - "This raises the number of Captagon pills seized since January 2018 to 15 million."
Published: Sat 12 Jan 2019, 12:12 PM
Last updated: Sun 13 Jan 2019, 8:28 AM
Sniffer dogs helped the Dubai Customs foil an attempt to smuggle 5 million Captagon pills - concealed in a container of motor spare parts - into the country through Jebel Ali Free Zone.
The illegal shipment was tracked by customs intelligence personnel, who shared the information and images of the shipment through the Regional Intelligence Liaison Office (RILO), according to a top official.
Director of Dubai Customs Ahmed Mahboob Musabih said the container, in which the contraband was hidden, was scanned and examined with K-9 sniffing dogs unit.
"Up to 5 million Captagon pills, weighing 500kg, were seized," he said. "This raises the number of Captagon pills seized since January 2018 to 15 million."
Official records show that Jebel Ali & TECOM Customs Center have made 19 seizures between 2016 and 2019. "These included 225 million narcotic pills and 51kg of other drugs."
Musabih added that the inspectors are always on their toes to thwart attempts to smuggle any illegal contraband. "The sophisticated scanning gadgets also play a major role."
Shuaib Al Suwaidi, Customs Intelligence Director at Dubai Customs, revealed that they track shipments on their way to Dubai's entry points "based on numerous data and intelligence resources".
How it was detected
The RILO, a regional centre for collecting and analysing data, disseminates information throughout the global customs network, Al Suwaidi explained. "It alerted Dubai Customs that the drug shipment was in a nearby country," he added.
"The Jebel Ali & TECOM Customs Center tracked the consignment that was concealed in a container of motor spare parts coming from a country that doesn't normally trade with spare parts."
The container was detected through the smart Vessel Tracking System, developed by Dubai Customs, he pointed out. "The contraband was then smashed."
Dr Roua Abdelamim told Khaleej Times that Captagon was first manufactured in 1961. "This human-made drug, of a family of drugs known as amphetamines, stimulates the central nervous system, increases alertness, boosts concentration and physical performance, and provides a feeling of well-being."
It was earlier prescribed to treat narcolepsy and depression, but the medical community determined that Captagon's addictive properties outweighed its clinical benefits in 1980, she added.
"It was then banned in several countries, particularly after it was found, as is the case with long-term amphetamine users, to lead to extreme depression, malnutrition, heart and blood vessel toxicity, and sleep deprivation."
ahmedshaaban@khaleejtimes.com
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