Dubai Customs seize 3 million Tramadol pills

DUBAI, 9th March 2015 (WAM) --- Customs authorities in Dubai have foiled an attempt to smuggle three million Tramadol pills, with an approximate street value of AED60 million, at Dubai Cargo Village Customs Centre. The seized Tramadol consignment which came from an Asian country by air was described by Director of Dubai Customs Ahmed Mahboob Musabih as "one of the biggest seizures of its kind made by Dubai Customs lately." "The Risk Engine (which was the star of the show) is a smart system which is primarily fed with up-to-date inputs from various resources, enabling it to identify suspected shipments at a high level of accuracy." Musabih explained that the clearance company mentioned in the customs declaration that the parcels contain medical products and lab equipment. However, it turned out, after analysis of available data on the history of the importer, that the shipment is likely to contain the narcotic Tramadol, a controlled medicine that the company is officially not authorised to import. "Cracking down on smugglers and safeguarding the community are major responsibilities on our shoulders. Two years ago, we launched a huge awareness campaign about the side effects of Tramadol, jointly with Dubai Health Authority and DMI. The drive had a positive impact on the public, particularly youngsters, as they are the most targeted by drug dealers," Musabih added. Jebel Ali Customs officers had earlier managed to confiscate a shipment of Tramadol imported under the same company, according to Talal Al Abdooli, Customs Intelligence Director. Based on its history, the company was targeted by the Risk Engine to track its shipments coming through all ports in the emirate. The system was alerted that a consignment was coming by air in the company’s name. Intelligence officers closely monitored the consignment until it arrived at the Cargo Village Customs Centre. "The risk assessment system was subsequently notified that the company in question will receive another suspected consignment by air cargo from an Asian country, which we are currently tracking down," said Al Abdooli. – Emirates News Agency, WAM – http://www.wam.ae/en/news/emirates/1395277640959.html