Dubai Police intercepted 1,560kg of narcotics in 2019

On Saturday, the Dubai Police said that in 2019 it had dealt with around 2,051 drug-related cases, as reported by news agency WAM.

Those cases led to the arrest of 3,128 suspects and the seizure of 1,569kg of illegal drugs and nearly 14.8 million narcotic pills.

The police team also blocked 58 websites that promoted the sale of illegal drugs.

Dubai Police worked on drug-related cases in other emirates across the UAE too. In the 88 cases it worked on outside of Dubai within the country last year, it led to the arrest of 215 suspects and seizure of 572kg of drugs.

The police department’s General Department of Anti-Narcotics, apart from coordinating cases inside the UAE, also provided cooperation to foreign countries providing them with 93 bits of crucial information last year, which helped in the arrest of 27 suspects and the seizure of over 11 tonnes of drugs.

Last year, Dubai Police made one of the largest drug hauls in the UAE. As part of ‘Operation Stalker’, it seized 365kg of heroin, crystal meth and hashish worth Dhs278.5m and arrested 16 Asian suspects.

Read: Video: Dubai Police reveal details about largest-ever drug haul in the UAE

Another significant operation undertaken by the Dubai Police, according to its commander-in-chief Major General Abdullah Khalifa Al Marri, was ‘Operation Listah’ which resulted in the arrest of 12 Asians and the seizure of 194kg of narcotics concealed on a boat’s deck.

The UAE has zero-tolerance for drug-related offences with severe penalties handed out for drug trafficking and possession.

Read: Dubai court sentences British woman to 10 years in jail for drug smuggling

Last year, a Dubai court sentenced a 31-year-old British woman to 10 years in prison and a fine for reportedly carrying e-cigarettes filled with cannabidiol (CBD) oil, a cannabis extract, when she arrived at Dubai International airport.

Read: Video: Abu Dhabi police seize 423kg of drugs in largest haul in the UAE