Police in Sharjah have thwarted an attempt to smuggle a large drugs haul worth Dh14 million into the emirate and arrested 32 suspects.
Officers confiscated 50kg of hashish, 49kg of liquid crystal meth and more than 1 million illegal pills.
The shipment of drugs was smuggled through a seaport in the UAE, with plans to distribute it across the country.
Officers in Sharjah received a tip-off about an international gang and a task force was set up to arrest 32 people of Arab and Asian nationalities. The operation was called Unfolding The Cover.
"After receiving confirmed information about the smuggling attempt, a task force was set up to monitor and analyse data," said Lt Col Majid Al Asam, director of the anti-narcotics department.
"We arrested the suspects and seized 1.1 million pills of illegal substance."
Officers said the gang had stored the drugs in a warehouse in a neighbouring emirate and used a cargo company to conceal the drugs inside the shipment.
"They hid the liquid crystal meth and hashish inside the chassis of a vehicle," Lt Col Al Asam said.
Investigations revealed the time when the shipment was delivered but a raid was carried out only after the drugs had been received and stored.
The police did not disclose when the raid took place.
Lt Col Al Asam urged members of the public to help the fight against drugs by reporting any suspicious activities to 8004654 or at dea@shjpolice.gov.ae.
