Police seize Dh2m worth of heroin at Dubai market

Dubai police discover 17 kilogrammes of heroin in a lorry at Al Awir vegetable market in Operation Lost Treasure.

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DUBAI // Police have found 17 kilogrammes of heroin - worth about Dh2 million - hidden in a lorry at Al Awir vegetable market.

Officers seized the drugs during operation Lost Treasure on October 9 and arrested man suspected of drug trafficking on a "global scale".

They were tipped off that AY, a 36-year-old from an Asian country, was operating a drugs business under the cover of the market.

"We received information that he was a dangerous drug trafficker and was in possession of large quantities of drugs which he intended to smuggle to a neighbouring country," said Major General Abdul Al Jaleel Al Mahdi, head of the anti-drugs department at Dubai Police.

He did not disclose which country the drugs were destined for, but claimed the man was working as a mediator between a Pakistani drug trafficker and another trafficker in the Gulf nation.

Officers searched the man's workplace in the market but could find nothing.

They then searched his lorry, where they discovered 2,134 heroin capsules, weighing 17kgs in total.

The operation was dubbed Lost Treasure as the capsules were coloured gold.

The case has been referred to the public prosecution.