Dubai Customs foiled 35 attempts in the past three years to import more than 68 kilograms of "black magic" items at Dubai International Airport.
Officers seized items linked to witchcraft and sorcery, such as talismans, amulets, animal skins, bones and blood, between 2018 and 2020.
“Items that could be associated with sorcery or black magic are prohibited under a decree by the GCC Financial and Economic Cooperation Committee,” said Khalid Ahmad, director of passengers operations at Dubai Customs.
Customs officers depend primarily on their skills in reading body language to detect who might be carrying illegal items
In seizures that totalled 68.4kg, officers confiscated talismans, amulets, knives, needles, vials of animal blood and other liquids, animal skins, hair and bones, drawings, pieces of metal, rings and books of magic techniques.
“Attempts to bring these prohibited materials into the country in various ways are considered smuggling, in accordance with the unified customs law,” Mr Ahmad said.
He said an African woman who was caught in 2018 carrying 10.8kg of black magic items was also detected a year later trying to smuggle 8.4kg of similar objects and books.
Mr Ahmad said well-trained customs officers depend primarily on their skills in reading body language to detect who might be carrying such items, before screening and manually checking luggage.
“Training happens with help from the Department of Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities in Dubai,” he said.
“Once confiscated, items are referred to relevant authorities to be dealt with.”
Practising black magic or attempting to smuggle sorcery items is illegal under Article 316 of the UAE’s Penal Code. People caught smuggling black magic objects are subject to prison and/or fines.
A total of 47.6kg of items associated with witchcraft were seized in 2018.
The following year, 12.9kg of items were confiscated from passengers, while 7.9kg of materials was seized in 2020.
Dubai Customs said its efforts in spreading awareness about carrying these items has helped bring down the number of smuggling attempts.
FA Cup quarter-final draw
The matches will be played across the weekend of 21 and 22 March
Sheffield United v Arsenal
Newcastle v Manchester City
Norwich v Derby/Manchester United
Leicester City v Chelsea
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Which honey takes your fancy?
Al Ghaf Honey
The Al Ghaf tree is a local desert tree which bears the harsh summers with drought and high temperatures. From the rich flowers, bees that pollinate this tree can produce delicious red colour honey in June and July each year
Sidr Honey
The Sidr tree is an evergreen tree with long and strong forked branches. The blossom from this tree is called Yabyab, which provides rich food for bees to produce honey in October and November. This honey is the most expensive, but tastiest
Samar Honey
The Samar tree trunk, leaves and blossom contains Barm which is the secret of healing. You can enjoy the best types of honey from this tree every year in May and June. It is an historical witness to the life of the Emirati nation which represents the harsh desert and mountain environments
THE BIO: Martin Van Almsick
Hometown: Cologne, Germany
Family: Wife Hanan Ahmed and their three children, Marrah (23), Tibijan (19), Amon (13)
Favourite dessert: Umm Ali with dark camel milk chocolate flakes
Favourite hobby: Football
Breakfast routine: a tall glass of camel milk
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Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Company%20profile
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SPECS
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Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
North Pole stats
Distance covered: 160km
Temperature: -40°C
Weight of equipment: 45kg
Altitude (metres above sea level): 0
Terrain: Ice rock
South Pole stats
Distance covered: 130km
Temperature: -50°C
Weight of equipment: 50kg
Altitude (metres above sea level): 3,300
Terrain: Flat ice
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Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
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Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
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Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
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Rating: 3/5