Dubai Police uncover crystal meth worth $18.7 million hidden in solar panels

Ten residents were arrested after they attempted to smuggle 1,056kg of the illegal substance into the UAE

In a proactive operation, the General Command of Dubai Police represented by the General Administration for Drug Control, thwarted the smuggling of one ton and 56 kilograms of crystal drug, with a market value of 68 million and 640 thousand dirhams.Show less

Dubai Police said on Monday they had thwarted attempts to smuggle $18.7 million (Dh68.7 million) worth of crystal methamphetamine into the UAE.

The drugs had been concealed inside a number of solar panels.

Posting on Facebook, the force said Operation Panel resulted in the arrest of 10 UAE residents who tried to bring 1,056kg of crystal meth into the country.

The operation was carried out by the General Department of Anti-Narcotics, which caught the suspects allegedly trying to conceal the drugs in 264 solar panels.

Dubai Police released a video detailing how they watched the suspects collect the shipment from a warehouse and transport it to another location. Sniffer dogs were then used to find the drugs.

Last month, Dubai International Airport customs officials thwarted a woman’s attempts to smuggle more than 5kg of cocaine into the emirate.

Inspection staff became suspicious of the traveller, who had arrived from Latin America, and flagged her luggage for an X-ray. The scan showed an unusually dense area at the bottom of the woman’s suitcase.

Inspectors found the inner lining of her bag had a secret pocket in which black plastic packets containing 3.2kg of cocaine were concealed.

Another 2.4kg had been hidden inside shampoo and moisturiser bottles.