African woman found with 3kg drugs at Dubai airport

An African woman has been arrested for allegedly attempting to smuggle several kilograms of drugs into Dubai, days after a Nigerian woman tried to do the same, according to the customs department. "Dubai Customs have thwarted in less than a week, the second attempt to smuggle over three kilograms of narcotic crystals ... brought in by an African business woman coming from an African city to Dubai," a Dubai customs' statement said.

The woman, whose nationality was not disclosed, said she did not know that the "five plastic bags wrapped in brown tape and stuffed into the sides and bottom" of her luggage contained "the narcotic crystal component also known by the name meth", a cheaper and less pure form of cocaine, the statement added. On Friday, Dubai Customs said it had thwarted 251 drug-trafficking attempts during the past five months, the latest on Monday when a Nigerian woman was arrested at the airport on suspicion of trying to smuggle in 7kg of cocaine.

* AFP