Abu Dhabi Customs seizes 55,642kg of narcotics in first five months of 2021

Inspectors at the General Administration of Abu Dhabi Customs foiled attempts to smuggle 55,642kg of narcotic and prohibited substances, and 29,670 pills during the first five months of this year.

During the same period in 2020, it intercepted attempts to smuggle 24,454kg of drugs and 17,676 narcotic pills.

The figures were revealed on June 26, on the occasion of International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.

Abu Dhabi Customs stated that the number of seizures of narcotic substances during the first five months of 2021 amounted to 104 in all customs ports of the emirate, compared to 460 seizures in the same period in 2020, reported state news agency WAM.

Abu Dhabi Customs clarified that the seizures varied between narcotic substances, pills, and other prohibited substances, making the number of reports issued by the administration during the first five months of this year to 94 customs records, compared to 417 seizure records in the same period in 2020.

Abu Dhabi Customs indicated that many of the seizures were made after they became suspicious of individuals based on their body language, and also the use of detection devices. It said that the average demographic of smugglers is male, aged between 31-40 years, and they mainly attempted to smuggle narcotics through their luggage.

Mubarak Matar Al Mansouri, executive director of the Customs Operations Sector, said that Abu Dhabi Customs continues to strengthen its efforts to counter attempts to smuggle drugs and prohibited materials through the emirate’s customs ports.

He added that Abu Dhabi Customs has an advanced customs system that relies on cutting-edge technology in customs inspection and can thwart attempts to smuggle narcotic substances through all customs ports of the emirate, relying on the latest international practices within this field.

Al Mansouri had also recently revealed that the total number of narcotic and drug seizures made by Abu Dhabi Customs in 2020 amounted to 515 seizures in all customs ports of the emirate, compared to 1,790 seizures in 2019.