Picture for illustrative purposes only. ARCHIVE

UAE authorities have foiled an attempt to smuggle more than 1.4kg of cocaine into the country after customs officers at Zayed International Airport discovered 100 drug-filled capsules concealed inside a passenger’s body. The Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) said the suspect, an African national, was intercepted after customs inspectors detected suspicious behavioural indicators during routine screening. The passenger was subjected to advanced inspection procedures before being transferred to hospital for medical examination. Doctors later confirmed the presence of foreign objects concealed internally. Following surgery, medical teams extracted 100 capsules containing cocaine with a total weight of 1,418 grams. Authorities immediately completed seizure procedures before referring the suspect and confiscated narcotics to prosecutors for legal action. The operation was carried out jointly by the ICP’s General Directorate of Ports and the National Anti-Narcotics Authority. According to ICP, the seizure reflects the high level of expertise among UAE customs officers in detecting increasingly sophisticated smuggling attempts. The UAE enforces some of the world’s toughest anti-drug laws, with trafficking offences carrying severe prison terms, heavy fines and deportation after sentence completion. ICA/Expat Media
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