UAE authorities seize US$136 million worth of cocaine, Dubai police say
- The United Arab Emirates has a zero-tolerance policy towards drug possession and smugglers face possible death sentences but executions are rare
- Police said they foiled the smuggling attempt after receiving a tip about a cargo container carrying the contraband through a seaport
The UAE authorities seized half a tonne of cocaine worth more than US$136 million, Dubai police said on Sunday, in one of the biggest drug busts in the Gulf country.
Officers “recently thwarted a smuggling attempt of 500kg of pure cocaine into the country”, a police statement said.
“The narcotics, worth more than 500 million dirhams (US$136 million) in street value, were well-hidden within the structure of a cargo container.”
The United Arab Emirates, made up of seven emirates including Dubai, has a zero-tolerance policy towards drug possession.
Police said they foiled the smuggling attempt after receiving a tip about a cargo container carrying the contraband through a seaport.
In the operation dubbed “Scorpion”, a suspect of Middle Eastern origin was arrested. Police described the man as an intermediary for an international drug syndicate.