Abu Dhabi customs foil 2,940 smuggling attempts since January

ABU DHABI // Customs officials seized thousands of illicit items from smugglers in the first quarter of this year, including narcotics, diesel, and tobacco.

Details of the haul and the smuggling of illegal immigrants have been revealed in a Department of Finance report.

From January to March this year, 2,940 smuggling attempts were foiled at air, land and sea border controls, where officials at the General Administration of Customs (GAC) also stopped 35 illegal immigrants from entering Abu Dhabi.

Mohammed Khadim Al Hameli, acting director-general of the General Administration of Customs said developing security systems, procedures and training was a top priority.

“Customs officials play an important role in fostering security and safety as well as preventing any violation of the law, which negatively affects the local community and the economy,” he said

Abu Dhabi Customs foiled 637 drug smuggling attempts and seized 42.35kg of banned drugs and 3,444 narcotic pills. Most were found at the airport

Seized narcotics included 1,590 tramadol tablets from an Asian country hidden in a box in passenger’s luggage, while 1.45 of cocaine was found in a passenger’s luggage on a flight from a Latin American country.

A 35-year-old passenger on a flight from Africa was found to have 3.15kg of cocaine hidden in 11 shampoo bottles, while a 42-year-old passenger holding a North American passport was caught with 4.50kg of opium hidden in three different bags in his luggage.

African travellers from a Latin American country were also found to have 5kg of a narcotic substance hidden in capsules inside 218 alcohol bottles.

Customs centres recorded 14 diesel seizures, amounting to 14,044 litres and two reservoirs.

The GAC stopped 30 attempts to bring alcohol in a total of 725 packages. It also foiled 280 attempts to bring bootleg tobacco illegally into Abu Dhabi.

A total of 637 attempts to smuggle prescription drugs were also stopped, as well as expired drugs and drugs of quantities exceeding authorised limits. Most took place at Al Ain airport and Al Ain post office.

Officials also foiled five attempts to smuggle money into the country, as well as 35 attempts of commercial fraud such as non-disclosure of goods, manipulating product weight and country of origin detail.