Airport customs inspectors foiled 13 attempts to smuggle items associated with the practise of witchcraft and sorcery during the first 10 months of the year.
Lists of spells, animal skins, knives, bags containing fish bones and ampoules filled with blood were among the items taken from passengers arriving at Dubai International Airport.
“Practising black magic or attempting to smuggle sorcery items is illegal in our country. The confiscated items are immediately destroyed, said Ibrahim Al Kamali, director of passenger operations at Dubai Customs.
Dubai Customs said they foiled 44 such attempts in 2016.
In one of the cases, an African man tried to smuggle 8.10kg of black magic paraphernalia.
“The passenger was carrying magic spells, animal leather and some other items. All the items were confiscated,” said Mr Al Kamali.
The total weight of the items confiscated by Dubai Customs was not disclosed.
Any item associated with sorcery or black magic is prohibited under a decree from the GCC Financial and Economic Cooperation Committee.
“All bags are being inspected and X-rayed. Smugglers usually hide the items in their cloths and their luggage,” he said.
“Practising witchcraft and sorcery threatens our community by manipulating people’s mind into believing in nonsense,” said Mr Al Kamali.
He said Dubai Customs officers are trained to identify luggage carrying such items but “smugglers invent new methods”.