Sharjah Police foil drug smuggling bid

Sharjah: Sharjah Police have foiled an attempt to smuggle a huge shipment of narcotics into the UAE, Lieutenant Colonel Majid Al Asam, Director of the Anti-Narcotics Department of Sharjah Police said.

the police received a tip that a shipment of drugs was set to enter the UAE during Eid al-Fitr. The suspects felt that the holiday period was the right opportunity and time to enter these narcotic substances without being noticed by the eyes of the police, Lt Col Al Asam said. The shipment was to arrive in the country through its territorial waters within the jurisdiction of the Emirate of Sharjah.

In an operation called ‘Al Rasid’, which means Monitor in English, the UAE authorities set a trap to arrest the suspects when the vessel arrived. Police found the shipment contained 115.267kg of narcotic substances, and 51,790 narcotic tablets,

Seven suspects, all of whom were Asians, were arrested with the help of the UAE coastguards. They confessed to the crime and led police to the other members in different emirates. “It was very clear that this was a well-organised network and investigations led to the arrest of all the suspects. The head of the gang told police that he planned to sell the shipment to youngsters. “The suspects were referred to the Anti-Drugs Department at Sharjah Police General Headquarters for further investigation,” Lt Col Al Asam said.

Lt. Col. Al Asam praised the effective role of the Marine Facilities and Coastal Protection Authority — the third squadron, which helped in the arrest.

“We have aborted many plans of drug dealers in promoting drugs in the UAE and many drug dealers who target young boys were arrested,” he said, adding that anti-narcotics departments in the UAE are “working hard to ensure the safety of society and arresting drug dealers before they are able to affect the younger generation.”

He urged people to call the toll-free numbers, 800 4654 or contacting the email [email protected], to report any suspicious activity.