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Dubai: Man hides 7kg drugs in cereal boxes, busted at airport

With trained specialists equipped with high-tech inspection tools, customs authorities are able to detect even the most unusual smuggling attempts — from stashing narcotics inside cosmetics to squeezing them inside fruits

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An Asian traveller was caught with 7.06kg of marijuana at Dubai International Airport (DXB), it was reported on Tuesday. He was found to have stashed the illegal drugs inside the boxes of a popular cereal brand.

The narcotics were seized and legal action was taken against the smuggler, according to Arabic daily Al Bayan, which quoted statements from Dubai Customs.

The drugs hidden inside cereal boxes would have been challenging to detect, but since the authorities spotted "a strange, dark substance" inside the boxes, necessary measures had been taken, said the report.

Dubai Customs has been scaling up efforts to protect the community against drug smugglers, it added.

Syndicates have now come up with new ways of bringing narcotics into the country — but the UAE authorities have always been two steps ahead of these gangs.

Khaled Ahmed, senior director of passenger operations at the Dubai airport's terminal 1, said some would hide drugs inside cosmetics; others would mix with clothes; and there were those who tried squeezing them inside seasonal fruits and bags of spices. However, customs authorities are equipped with high-tech inspection devices, allowing them to intercept suspicious parcels and foil attempts of smuggling drugs and other contraband.

Ibrahim Al Kamali, director of passenger operations department at Dubai Customs, said: "We have a clear vision and strategy...in terms of facilitating travel procedures and countering smuggling attempts... The [Dubai Customs] constantly raises the efficiency of customs inspectors through intensive training courses... combined with advanced inspection devices."

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