Dubai Police seize 436kg of illegal drugs hidden in shipment of broad beans

Six members of gang arrested in 'exceptional' operation

Dubai Police found bags that they said were filled with a mixture of natural and plastic broad beans stuffed with narcotics. Photo: Dubai Police

Dubai Police seized 436kg of illegal drugs hidden in a cargo of legumes belonging to an international drug-trafficking network.

Six members of the gang were arrested in the operation, which officials described as "exceptional".

The force said the General Department of Anti-Narcotics at Dubai Police had received a tip-off about criminals attempting to smuggle drugs into the UAE.

It alerted the force to the presence of tonnes of illegal substances that arrived in the shipment and were being stored in a warehouse.

Dubai Police said some members of the gang were living in the emirate and others overseas.

Those suspected were placed under surveillance and the warehouse where the drugs were being stored was located.

When police raided the depot, they found the drugs hidden in 280 packaging bags.

The force said these were filled with a mixture of natural and plastic broad beans stuffed with narcotics.

Dubai Police said they were ready to be shipped to a nearby country.

The type and value of the drugs were not revealed.

Officials described their actions as "one of the exceptional operations that the force has carried out" because the warehouse inspection "required high-skilled security and the deployment of a K9 unit to discover narcotics stuffed in plastic food".