Gang smuggled drugs into UAE inside car parts, court hears

More than 72kg of methamphetamine was seized by customs inspectors at Jebel Ali Port in Dubai

Seven men accused of stashing more than 72kg of drugs in car parts shipped into the UAE have appeared in court.

The huge haul of methamphetamine was discovered during a search by customs officials at Jebel Ali Port, in Dubai, on August 2.

The unusual route by which the shipment had arrived in Emirati waters, from Afghanistan via Iran, raised inspectors’ suspicions, as did the recipient’s name.

“The container was under the name of a company usually importing foodstuffs but the details of the shipment to this container said it was carrying car spare parts,” an Emirati customs inspector said.

After their arrest, the men said they had been hired to bring the container into the UAE.

The accused – all Pakistani men aged between 23 and 41 – each denied a charge of smuggling drugs with intent to sell at Dubai Criminal Court on Monday.

The case was adjourned until January 20.