Dubai International Airport seizes hundreds of illegal items

Customs officers at Dubai International Airport seized hundreds of illegal items during the first half of the year.

The passenger operations department made 1,306 criminal seizures and 257 customs seizures, state news agency Wam reported.

It came following a tour of the airport by director general of Dubai Customs Ahmed Musabih.

He thanked officers at the facility for their efforts in thwarting smuggling attempts.

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"Dubai has invested billions to get the infrastructure of its ports and airports to a very advanced world-class level," said Mr Musabih.

"This hugely benefits the national economy and Dubai trade as part of the emirate’s vision of maintaining its status as a unique hub of trade and tourism."

Dubai airport caught more than 1,000 people attempting to smuggle illegal goods into the UAE last year.

Officials said the tactics employed by criminals ranged from highly sophisticated efforts to conceal drugs to cruder techniques.

In one example, a smuggler hid heroin in a wheelchair during the staging of the Special Olympic Games.

It was also revealed on Saturday, meanwhile, that officials handled 31 million items of luggage for 17.7 million passengers on board 135,000 flights arriving to Dubai over the same period.

Dubai is the world's busiest airport by international traffic. Close to 90 million passengers used the hub last year, most of whom were in transit.

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Director: Louis Theroux

Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz

Rating: 5/5

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The essentials

What: Emirates Airline Festival of Literature

When: Friday until March 9

Where: All main sessions are held in the InterContinental Dubai Festival City

Price: Sessions range from free entry to Dh125 tickets, with the exception of special events.

Hot Tip: If waiting for your book to be signed looks like it will be timeconsuming, ask the festival’s bookstore if they have pre-signed copies of the book you’re looking for. They should have a bunch from some of the festival’s biggest guest authors.

Information: www.emirateslitfest.com

On Women's Day

Dr Nawal Al-Hosany: Why more women should be on the frontlines of climate action

Shelina Janmohamed: Why shouldn't a spouse be compensated fairly for housework?

Samar Elmnhrawy: How companies in the Middle East can catch up on gender equality

The National Editorial: Is there much to celebrate on International Women's Day 2021?

What is blockchain?

Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.

The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.

Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.

However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.

Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.