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Dubai Customs foil bid to export 70 million illicit cigarettes to European country
The operation uncovered 360,500 cartons of cigarettes concealed inside shipments declared as 'clothing'
- PUBLISHED: Sat 15 Aug 2026, 2:02 PM UPDATED: Sat 15 Aug 2026, 3:57 PM
In a new major operation, Dubai Customs foiled an attempt to export more than 70 million illicit cigarettes bound for a European country.
Risk indicators and intelligence-led targeting enabled Dubai Customs' teams to successfully uncover 9 shipments across 3 air cargo terminals and linked them to a single importer through risk indicator analysis and shipment data review.
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Teams from the Air Cargo Centers Management intercepted the shipments in three separate operations after identifying indicators requiring further inspection. The operation uncovered 360,500 cartons of cigarettes, containing nearly seven tons of tobacco, concealed inside shipments declared as "clothing."
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Dubai Customs said the operations demonstrated the accuracy of its targeting capabilities and the efficiency of its teams in analysing data and linking information. Investigators established connections between shipments associated with the same importer despite their movement through three different air cargo facilities.
The targeting team continued analysing common indicators after the first shipment was identified and determined that all nine shipments were linked to the same importer, allowing them to be treated as interconnected cases rather than isolated incidents.
Dubai Customs said the seizures also reflect continued investment in its workforce, including developing inspectors' and targeting teams' capabilities in analysing shipping data, assessing risk indicators, detecting concealment methods and identifying document manipulation.
"Successfully identifying nine export shipments across three air cargo facilities and linking them to a single importer confirms that the strength of customs operations today does not depend on inspection alone. It starts with information, accurately interpreting risk indicators, connecting them and anticipating risks before a shipment completes its journey," said Abdulla Ahmad Alblooshi, Director of the Air Cargo Centers Management at Dubai Customs.
[With inputs from WAM]
