A man was detained at Dubai International Airport over an alleged drug smuggling attempt. Photo: Dubai Customs
A man was detained at Dubai International Airport over an alleged drug smuggling attempt. Photo: Dubai Customs
A man was detained at Dubai International Airport over an alleged drug smuggling attempt. Photo: Dubai Customs
A man was detained at Dubai International Airport over an alleged drug smuggling attempt. Photo: Dubai Customs

Man arrested at Dubai Airport over alleged attempt to smuggle 8.9kg of marijuana


Salam Al Amir
  • English
  • Arabic

A man has been arrested at Dubai International Airport on suspicion of smuggling 8.9kg of marijuana disguised as henna into the UAE.

Dubai Customs officers said they discovered the drugs when they spotted that the passenger's bag was unusually heavy.

A thorough search was conducted and officers seized plastic wraps containing what the man claimed was henna powder.

Ibrahim Al Kamali, director of passenger operations department at Dubai Customs, said the man showed signs of confusion when a body search was conducted.

The passenger, who arrived at Dubai Airport from an Asian country and whose identity was not disclosed, was arrested and now faces legal prosecution.

Officers found wraps containing what the man claimed was henna powder. Photo: Dubai Customs
Officers found wraps containing what the man claimed was henna powder. Photo: Dubai Customs

It was not revealed when the incident took place.

"Preventing the entry of harmful substances is our foremost priority at Dubai Customs," said Mr Al Kamali.

This is achieved through regular and extensive training of officers, and the use of the latest technology and scanning systems that can search objects and read the body language of passengers, he said.

Between January and September this year, Dubai Customs officers carried out 783 seizures, of which 540 were drug offences cases.

These included foiling a plot to smuggle 980kg of controlled drugs and other restricted medicine into the country. The haul has been valued at an estimated Dh6.2 million.

The special tasks section at the Dubai Customs intelligence department intercepted the shipments received by air.

Dubai Customs also foiled two plots to smuggle more than 171,000 prescription pills used to treat depression, anxiety and epilepsy in August this year.

Officers seized 160kg of controlled drugs and other restricted medicine which were flown into Dubai.

More than 90,000 Cipralex pills, a medication used to alleviate depression and anxiety, stashed in three parcels were confiscated.

A further 175,000 capsules of the banned drug pregabalin, used to treat epilepsy as well as nerve pain, were also found.

2021 World Triathlon Championship Series

May 15: Yokohama, Japan
June 5: Leeds, UK
June 24: Montreal, Canada
July 10: Hamburg, Germany
Aug 17-22: Edmonton, Canada (World Triathlon Championship Final)
Nov 5-6 : Abu Dhabi, UAE
Date TBC: Chengdu, China

A cryptocurrency primer for beginners

Cryptocurrency Investing  for Dummies – by Kiana Danial 

There are several primers for investing in cryptocurrencies available online, including e-books written by people whose credentials fall apart on the second page of your preferred search engine. 

Ms Danial is a finance coach and former currency analyst who writes for Nasdaq. Her broad-strokes primer (2019) breaks down investing in cryptocurrency into baby steps, while explaining the terms and technologies involved.

Although cryptocurrencies are a fast evolving world, this  book offers a good insight into the game as well as providing some basic tips, strategies and warning signs.

Begin your cryptocurrency journey here. 

Available at Magrudy’s , Dh104 

A Bad Moms Christmas
Dir: John Lucas and Scott Moore
Starring: Mila Kunis, Kathryn Hahn, Kristen Bell, Susan Sarandon, Christine Baranski, Cheryl Hines
Two stars

The specs

Engine: 3.8-litre V6

Power: 295hp at 6,000rpm

Torque: 355Nm at 5,200rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 10.7L/100km

Price: Dh179,999-plus

On sale: now 

Skoda Superb Specs

Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol

Power: 190hp

Torque: 320Nm

Price: From Dh147,000

Available: Now

GAC GS8 Specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km

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BMW M5 specs

Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor

Power: 727hp

Torque: 1,000Nm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km

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Is it worth it? We put cheesecake frap to the test.

The verdict from the nutritionists is damning. But does a cheesecake frappuccino taste good enough to merit the indulgence?

My advice is to only go there if you have unusually sweet tooth. I like my puddings, but this was a bit much even for me. The first hit is a winner, but it's downhill, slowly, from there. Each sip is a little less satisfying than the last, and maybe it was just all that sugar, but it isn't long before the rush is replaced by a creeping remorse. And half of the thing is still left.

The caramel version is far superior to the blueberry, too. If someone put a full caramel cheesecake through a liquidiser and scooped out the contents, it would probably taste something like this. Blueberry, on the other hand, has more of an artificial taste. It's like someone has tried to invent this drink in a lab, and while early results were promising, they're still in the testing phase. It isn't terrible, but something isn't quite right either.

So if you want an experience, go for a small, and opt for the caramel. But if you want a cheesecake, it's probably more satisfying, and not quite as unhealthy, to just order the real thing.

 

 

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Lexus LX700h specs

Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor

Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm

Transmission: 10-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh590,000

Oppenheimer
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Who's who in Yemen conflict

Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government

Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council

Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south

Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory

The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo

The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
​​​​​​​Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km

Updated: March 28, 2024, 9:22 AM