Abu Dhabi Police arrest farm workers after cannabis plants discovered in raid

Fourteen plants were being grown in remote part of property, officers say

Two men have been arrested after more than a dozen cannabis plants were seized during a raid on a farm in Abu Dhabi.

Abu Dhabi Police said the 14 plants had been grown in a remote area of the farm without the knowledge of the owner.

They were being cultivated with intent to sell, officers said.

Police said the arrested men worked on the farm and came from Asia, but did not state their nationality.

They did not say when the arrests were made and did not give the location of the farm.

“The place was raided according to legal procedures, the men were arrested and the plants pulled up and seized,” said Brig Gen Taher Al Dhaheri, director of the anti-narcotics division at Abu Dhabi Police.

“Investigations revealed that the owner of the farm didn't visit often, which the two men took advantage of, growing the narcotic plants in an out-of-the-way part of the farm.”

The senior officer urged farm owners to closely supervise workers and provide them with knowledge about the country’s laws.

He also called on farm owners to become more familiar with the type of plants grown on their property.

Members of the public are urged to report any suspicious activities to 800 2626.

Meanwhile, on Monday, Ras Al Khaimah Customs officers at Al Dhara border seized more than 29 kilograms of cannabis hidden in a vehicle attempting to enter the Emirates from Musandam in Oman.

During a search of the vehicle, officers noticed that changes had been made to the spare tyre.

On inspection, that they found 28 bags of cannabis “professionally hidden” inside the tyre, state news agency Wam reported.

Hundreds of tonnes of narcotics and millions of tablets were seized by police forces across the country during 2021 — with 75 per cent of the total haul confiscated by Dubai Police.

Officers in Abu Dhabi seized 1.4 million tablets and 2.6 tonnes of other drugs last year.

In Sharjah, 3.4 million tablets and 1.1 tonnes of other drugs were confiscated last year, while 428kg were seized by Ras Al Khaimah Police.

Last year, there was an increase of more than 20 per cent in the number of people arrested in the UAE for drug-related crimes — up from 6,973 up to 8,428, the Ministry of Interior said.

UAE's fight against drugs - in pictures

Dubai Customs made 936 seizures in the first four months of 2022. All photos: Dubai Customs

Large amounts of Captagon, crystal meth, heroin, marijuana and opium were seized by Dubai Customs between January and April this year.

Of the 936 foiled attempts to smuggle drugs into the emirate, 222 took place at Dubai airports.