Dubai Customs foils smuggling of five kg of opium

Dubai, Oct 11, 2011 (WAM) - Dubai Customs inspectors at Dubai Cargo Village has seized five kilograms of opium narcotics which was cunningly hidden inside the contents of two baggage coming from an Asian country on their way to a western country through Dubai.
Omar Ahmad Al Muhairy, Senior Manager of Air Cargo Operations at Dubai Customs, stated that the parcel contained two baggage with "personal belongings" inside as stated in the customs declaration description. During the routine clearance procedures of the transit cargos, Customs inspectors suspected the contents of the two baggage and examined them through the x-ray machine. Images detected unusual lumpiness in some parts which indicates stuffing. Thus, both were searched manually and a murky substance which resembled narcotics was found by the Customs inspectors who, thanks to their wide expertise in this domain, could identify it once discovered hidden in the inside parts of the two baggage. The mobile lab was summoned to test a sample of the substance and results came back positive to confirm the inspectors' suspicions that it indeed contained opium weighing 5 kg.
Al Muhairy added that in line with the mutual coordination between Dubai Customs and the General Department of the Anti- Narcotics of Dubai Police, the cargo was transferred to the latter.
Al Muhairy stressed that Dubai Customs continues to exert efforts in the field of combating smuggling of narcotics and other internationally prohibited items in-line with its strategic vision in supporting legitimate trade due to its serious massive dangers on humans' health, the economies and different communities irrespective of the destination these contrabands heading to, whether into the local market or transiting to any other country through Dubai. he pointed out as well that Dubai Customs inspector are highly alerted against any security threats and are all keen to reinforce Dubai and the UAE's status worldwide. - Emirates News Agency, WAM