UAE: thwarting drug smuggling and arresting an international criminal network that includes 20 people

The Emirati authorities announced on Friday that they had thwarted an attempt to smuggle 200,000 Captagon tablets and more than 30 kilograms of narcotic substances into the country, and seized an international criminal network that included 20 defendants of Gulf, Arab, African and Asian nationalities, according to what was reported by the Emirati “WAM” news agency.

The agency said: “The National Narcotics Control Agency, in cooperation with a number of police leaders in the country, represented by the Ras Al Khaimah Police, Dubai Police, Sharjah Police, and Ajman Police, in addition to the General Directorate of Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances Affairs of the Iraqi Ministry of Interior, and in judicial coordination with the Federal Public Prosecution, succeeded in thwarting an attempt to smuggle 200,000 Captagon tablets and more than 30 kilograms of narcotic substances into the country, and controlling an international criminal network that includes... 20 defendants of Gulf, Arab, African and Asian nationalities.”

The National Narcotics Control Agency reported that the seizures included, in addition to Captagon tablets, various quantities of cocaine, crystal, marijuana, hashish and spice, which the network was seeking to bring in through one of the border areas in the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah, in preparation for promoting it within the country.

The National Anti-Narcotics Agency added: “The details of the operation began with the exchange of intelligence information between the competent authorities in the UAE and the Republic of Iraq, which revealed a plan for a multinational criminal network to smuggle large quantities of drugs into the country.”

He explained, "In light of this information, the National Narcotics Control Agency, in cooperation with the relevant authorities, developed a solid security plan that resulted in thwarting the smuggling operation and arresting a number of members of the network red-handed in possession of narcotic substances and attempting to smuggle them, while the rest of the accused were arrested inside the country through ambushes carried out by the security teams."

The National Anti-Narcotics Agency confirmed that the operation dealt a “strong blow” to drug smuggling and trafficking networks, stressing that there is no place for what he described as “dealers of death” in the UAE, and that anyone who tries to tamper with its security or endanger the safety of its community will find himself in the grip of justice.

The National Anti-Narcotics Agency explained that the success of the operation reflects the readiness of the security services and their advanced capabilities in monitoring, investigating and tracking criminal networks, and embodies the effectiveness of security and judicial cooperation and information exchange with regional partners in confronting cross-border drug crimes.