The Dubai Police has recently stopped an attempt to smuggle 500 kg of cocaine, according to an official statement on Sunday, October 10.
The police operation, codenamed Scorpion, was reportedly the region’s largest drug seizure, and that stopped the substance from being sold in the country.
According to the aforementioned statement, the quantity of the stimulant narcotic substance seized was more than AED500 million ($136 million) in street value.
It was said to have been hidden within the structure of a cargo container, where it was discovered.
According to Dubai Police, the operation also resulted in the arrest of a Middle-Eastern gang member operating as an intermediary inside the country for an international drug syndicate and the seizure of drugs he possessed.
Brigadier Eid Mohammed Thani Hareb, Director of the Anti-Narcotics Department at the Dubai Police, was quoted as saying by the statement: “We received a security tip on an international drug syndicate attempting to smuggle a huge amount of pure cocaine hidden in a cargo container into a seaport with the assistance of a Middle-Eastern accomplice in the emirate.”
He added: “An investigating team was immediately formed to verify and respond to the security tip.”
They monitored the suspect’s movements until he received the expected narcotics shipment.
“Once the shipment arrived, the suspect transported the illegal drugs to another emirate and stored them in a warehouse with the aim of selling and promoting the harmful toxins,” the brigadier said.
Colonel Khalid bin Muwaiza, Deputy Director of the General Department of Anti-Narcotics, said the suspect had rented an SUV and bought angle grinders and other cutting tools to unload the container.
“At the zero hour, our officers raided the warehouse, caught the man red-handed and seized the narcotics,” he said.
Bin Muwaiza also confirmed that the suspect, who has a criminal record in his country, has confessed to the crime and was referred to the Public Prosecution for further legal action.
